One Jewel, Two Souls
by Kirei Ai Tenshi
Summary: Kagome and her older twin sister, Kaori have a secret that even they did not know about...at least not until their fifteenth birthday. On that very day, a youkai from the Sengoku Jidai dragged them down the well to its own time. Once there, the twins found out that they carried a very important and, depending who possessed it, evil artifact. The Shikon no Tama.
1. Author's Note

While I am working on the new chapter, I've decided to go back and revamp my old chapters (1-12) so that they will look consistent and flow as smoothly as the newer ones. So please excuse all the update alerts! I'm going to take down those chapters and re-do them how I see fit.

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	2. Chapter 1

Hello all my avid readers of this story! I was going back re-reading it for some ideas and all cringed at my novice writing in the first several chapters! So, for this fic's second birthday, I'm going back and re-editing those chapters, maybe add a few more original things!

Disclaimer: I, Kaykai, herby claim no ownership over Yuu Yuu Hakusho or Inuyasha. They belong to the talented Yoshihiro Togashi and Rumiko Takahashi. I only own the plot of this story and any original characters that may appear. Thank you.

* * *

><p>One Jewel, Two Souls<p>

* * *

><p>A young girl of fifteen with long, wavy raven colored hair and bright stormy sea-blue eyes crossed her arms over her chest as she waited at the bottom of the stairwell. Glancing over at the clock posted on the wall, her foot began to tap in irritation. Just as the minute hand ticked over to point at the number three, she huffed, "Kagome! Will you hurry it up!" she growled lowly when she heard the shoji door slide open and close. "That little squirt has already left!"<p>

"I'm coming, Kaori!" a voice called back from the top of the stairs. "I just have to find my shoes!"

The girl - Kaori - huffed and rolled her eyes. "Well, speed it up! I have Kendo practice!"

Kagome scoffed, wondering why her older sister was so obsessed with her sword art practice. She was the only girl in a group of ten other boys! Digging around in her closet, she found one of her brown loafers and sighed when she all, but threw everything out of the closet and still could not find the matching shoe. Moving over to her bed, after putting everything back in place, Kagome finally found her other loafer and tugged them both on. Grabbing her bag, the younger girl quickly raced down the steps meeting Kaori at the bottom. "Okay, let's go."

Kaori nodded as she shouldered her own black school bag. After announcing their departure the two girls exited the house and ran for the steps. Out the corner of her eye, Kaori saw Kagome pause, looking over at the old well shrine. Tilting her head in confusion she walked over to her sister. "What's up?"

The younger sister looked back at the older, "Didn't you say that Souta had already left?"

"Yeah. Why?" she quipped.

Kagome lifted her hand, pointing a slender finger at the open door of the shrine and at the figure holding a green bowl, "Then, why is he at the Well shrine?"

Raising her sea-blue eyes in the direction of where her sister was pointing, she too saw that their little brother was shuffling his feet nervously in front of the shrine. "Souta, you little squirt!" she yelled as she ran over to where he was and grabbed him by the collar, "What are you doing?"

"You know that you're not supposed to play in there." Kagome chastised, placing her hand over Kaori's wrist and forcing her to drop Souta back on his feet. The elder sibling always had a tendency of being more violent with their little brother, saying that he needs to toughen up and having two sisters would not help if they both babied him.

Souta glared up at Kaori with light brown, almost hazel, eyes as he shoved the bowl of cat food in front of their faces. "I'm not. It's the cat!" he turned around and called out the feline's name, dejected when the creature did not show himself. "I don't know where else he could be."

Kaori rolled her eyes and kneeled down beside her little brother and placed her hand on his head. "Well, why don't you go down and get him."

"Are you crazy!" he shouted, shaking her hand off his face. "Why do I have to go down there?"

Kagome sighed and moved to walk down the steps, "Because you're the one looking for him." She whipped her head around when a scratching noise rumbled from down inside the well. Repressing a small chuckle when Souta screamed and fell on his rear, Kagome picked up the bowl of cat food. "It's just the cat, silly."

The older sister flicked him on the nose before following her twin down the steps. "Are you supposed to be a boy?" she snorted, her eyes flashing mischievously.

_Scritch. Scritch. Scritch._

That once faint scratching noise, barely noticeable unless completely silent had gotten steadily louder and louder as the two girls neared the well. Cautiously they stepped on the soft soil that surrounded the well, their eyes scanning for their pet. The sound intensified, sending the twins on edge. Something brushed against Kaori's leg, causing her to jump and let out a small scream.

Kagome giggled at the terrified looks on her siblings' faces and bent to scoop up the fat, calico colored cat off the ground. "It's just Buyo." She ran her fingers through her pet's soft fur, smirking at the blushing siblings.

"You make fun of me for being scared and you're all Kyaah!" Souta taunted, his brown eyes narrowed at Kaori.

The older twin returned the glare full-heartedly as she shot back, "Look who's talking Mr. Why-do-I-have-to-go." a small stream of electricity formed between brother and sister as they continued to glare at one another. They did not even noticed the intensified scratching noises. It was not until the paper seal on the well flashing brightly caught Souta's attention.

"Uh, Nee-chan?" he opened his mouth to say more, but the wooden cover that closed off the well exploded into splinters as three pairs of ghostly white hands shot out. The hands floated towards Kagome, grabbing her shoulders and yanked her back. Buyo jumped out of her arms at the sudden jerk, landing on his feet next to Souta.

"Kaori!" Kagome screamed, her hand stretched out for her sister. She tried to fight off the hands, but there was too many and they were too strong.

"Kagome!" the older sister yelled as she raced towards the younger and grabbed her hand. Pulling with all her might, Kaori tried to forced the hands to let go of Kagome, but to no avail. The ghostly hands yanked the younger girl down hard, nearly ripping her from Kaori's hands. The elder twin held on tight and was pulled off her feet and both were pulled into the well with a flash of pink light.

Souta stared at the empty spot where his sisters' we're standing not even two minutes ago. "Kagome-nee! Kaori-nee!" he screamed in a panic. Jumping to his feet, he pulled at his hair and frantically asked what should he do over and over again. "I've got to tell Okaa-chan and Jii-chan!"

* * *

><p>Scaly red and green flesh began to cover the long skeletal body of the creature holding Kagome close to its chest. She moaned in pleasure as she turned the young girl around in her hold, her beady black eyes locked with two pairs of storm blue. "Already my flesh and strength are returning to me." the centipede woman pulled the twins closer to her, despite their struggling. "You have it, don't you?" her long, pink tongue slithered out past her lips and ran up Kagome's cheek. "Give it to me!"<p>

"Gross!" Kaori hissed. "What are you doing to my sister!" she raised her hand to shove the creature away from Kagome.

The younger sister shoved her hand into the centipede woman's face, pushing her way. "Let go of me!" she blinked when a strange blue light flooded from her palm, burning the flesh of the creature. Glancing over at her sister, she saw that a pale violet light was shining from her hand as she shoved the centipede woman away from them.

The creature grabbed Kaori's arm. "I must have it! You can't keep it from me!" she flew back into the swirling abyss of glittery blue light, her hand still clutching the older twin's arm. "Shikon no Tama!"

Kagome looked over at Kaori, a questioning look in her sea-blue eyes as they bother voiced, "Shikon no Tama."

They floated through the blue glow, wondering what the heck just happened to them. The reminisce on what transpired the morning and nothing seemed out of ordinary. They woke up, had a quick breakfast with the family, got dressed for school and let a little later than usual. Soon they landed softly on the floor of the well.

"That was strange... " Kaori was the first to speak, her voice soft as she clung to Kagome tightly.

Kagome nodded her head in agreement and placed her hand over her forehead. "Maybe we hit our heads on the fall down." her eyes widened when she caught sight of the ghostly white arm that had grabbed her sister and let out a soft cry, "Maybe not. "

The elder sister rose to her feet, pulling Kagome up with her, her face pale as a sheet. "Anyway, let's get out of this creepy well."

"Yeah." the younger twin agreed before cupping her hands over her mouth, "Hey Souta! Get Jii-chan!" she sighed under her breath when she could not hear their younger brother respond. Glancing over at Kaori, who had a scowl on her face, Kagome shook her head sadly.

Kaori moved forward and grabbed a vine that was crowing out the crevices of the well's walls, testing the strength of it. "He probably ran off, the little brat."

Kagome frowned as she grabbed a root next to the one her sister was climbing up and struggled to keep her balance. "Yeah, you're probably..." she trailed off as a small white butterfly flew in front her face, landing on her nose before fluttering away when she sneezed lightly. Ignoring the heavy feeling in the pit of their stomachs, Kagome and Kaori continued to climb up the well and finally reached the top.

And was completely blown away with the sight they were greeted with. The home that they grew up in was gone. Nothing but the wilderness of a grand forest lay in the area where the Sunset Shrine used to be. The beaming sun almost blinded them as they took in their new surroundings. While it was very beautiful, this was not their home.

"Kagome, I don't think we are in Tokyo anymore." Kaori finally choked out as her eyes widened to their extent.

"Kaa-chan! Jii-chan! Souta! Buyo!" the younger girl called out, hoping that this was all a bad dream. She pinched her arm sharply, pain jolting up and down her body, but no matter how many times she blinked her eyes, she and her sister were still in this large clearing. Looking over at Kaori, Kagome began searching for any signs of their former house or anything that would look remotely similar. "Ah!" she cried out, pointing, "Kaori! It's the tree!"

Kaori looked over in the direction when her twin was pointing and saw the top of the large tree that their shrine was built around. A large beaming smile spread over her face as she grabbed Kagome's hand and raced towards the spot. "That means we're practically home!"

Together they pushed through the foliage towards the giant tree that they grew up around. They came to a skidding halt once they saw the Sacred Tree. There with an arrow shot through his chest and held up by the large dried vines was a boy with flowing silver hair, who looked to be sleeping peacefully. He was dressed in a white toga with matching pants, and when the wind picked up they saw something flash behind him.

Kagome took a few steps forward. "Is that a boy?" she ignored her sister's demand for her to stay away and climbed up the vines that held the boy up. She noticed that he was extremely tall, towering over her by several feet. He also had the face of an aristocrat with a strong jaw and high cheekbones. "Kaori, he has kitsune ears." she stood up on her tiptoes and stretched her arms up, petting the boy's ears. The fur covering the fuzzy appendages were soft and silky. "He's really handsome." her voice took on an excited pitch. "He has tails, too!"

Kaori resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her twin's rather childish curiosity when a dark shadow beside the fox-eared boy caught her attention. _'What's this?'_ She looked back up at Kagome and saw that she was still engrossed with playing with the silver-haired one's ears. Kaori stepped through the dried vines that held the white-clad boy up and crossed over to the other side of the tree. Her eyes widened as she raised her hand to her lips to stifle a gasp. Pinned in the same way as the silver-haired boy was a dark-haired one, his black cloak fluttering in the breeze. _'He's kind of cute.'_

Walking over to him, the older sister saw that he was not much taller than her, maybe a few inches taller. He had dark hair that seemed to defy all laws of gravity as it stood up in soft spikes, but the middle of his bangs were a startling white color that greatly contrasted with his black hair. As she got a closer look at him, Kaori took in his sleeping face, noting the white cloth around his forehead and that his ears ended in an elegant point and she reached out to trace it with her fingertip.

"Forget about being cute, he's beautiful." she said out loud.

"Kaori!" Kagome's scream broke the older sister out of her trance and she scrambled over back under the vines. Her eyes widened at what she saw. Her little sister was clutching the silver-haired boy's shirt tightly as she cringed close to his chest, arrows surrounding her head.

A man pulled another arrow from his quiver, notching it in place on his bow. He hooked his finger on the bowstring and pulled it taut as he took aim at the girls. "Get away from there!"

As the men surrounded the two girls, the elder sister cried out, "Just what the hell is going on!"

* * *

><p>A small crowd of villagers gathered in the center of the village, staring with wide eyes at the two strangely dressed girls sitting on the ground. The people began whispering quietly among themselves, making accusations about the girls. Kagome struggled against the bindings around her wrists and ankles as she glared up at the villagers. "You didn't have to tie us up, y'know!" She narrowed her eyes as she assessed the people surrounding her and her sister. <em>'Top-knot. Top-knot. Top-knot. What is this? Something out of Sengoku Jidai?'<em>

"Do you think that they are kitsune in disguise?" a woman asked, hiding her lips with the back of her hand.

"Naw, them shape-shifting foxes are a lot craftier than that." another woman responded.

"You reckon it's war?"

A man glared at the twins, balling his hand in a tight fist. "Of course. And right in the middle of rice planting season."

Soon everyone was quieted when someone began shouting that the priestess of the village, Ren, was coming. The twins tensed as they picked up the slow shuffling of feet as the woman drew closer and closer, but looked up in confusion at the elderly woman that approached them. She was short with graying hair and a black eye patch over her left eye and was dressed in a plain white haori with bright red hakama. She was also carrying an urn.

Dipping her hand inside the urn, the miko grew the grainy powder on the sisters. "Youkai begone!"

Kaori shook her head to get rid of the weird smelling salt that was clinging to her hair. "Cut it out!" she growled, glaring up at the old woman. "We aren't youkai!"

Ren pulled her hand out of the clay urn, her single brown eye locked on the twins as her thin lips pulled down in a frown. "If ye are not youkai, then why were ye found in the Forbidden Forest?"

"Could they be spies from another village?" a man questioned the old priestess.

"Then they would be fools." she stood up straighter as she addressed the man who spoke. "Who would raid such a poor village as ours?" Ren glanced back down at the two girls, seeing the piercing glare in their sea-blue eyes before they blinked in surprise. "Let me have a better look at ye." she reached out and grabbed Kagome's face, twisting her head left and right. "Try to look more intelligent." Ren then let go of the younger girl's chin in favor of taking the other's, "Be a clever girl or a half-wit."

The twins gritted their teeth. _'Why you...'_

Ren released Kaori's face and took a few steps back, her eye wide. "It's there, yet I know not why.  
>she turned to a man and ordered for him to release the two girls and bring them to her hut immediately. With those final commands said, the old miko turned and hobbled back to wherever she had first came from.<p>

Night had fallen by the time everything had been sorted out with the girls and now they sat on their knees inside Ren's hut, rubbing their rope burned wrists gently and cursing the men who tied them up. The old woman was stirring a cauldron with a wooden spoon before scooping some of the contents inside two bowls.

"Stew?" she offered the steaming bowls to the girls, who graciously accepted them and began sipping at the thick red liquid. Ren watched the twins carefully, trying to gauge their reactions to how they were treated earlier. "Bare us no ill will, children. We now know that ye mean us no harm." she stabbed at the hot coals with an iron spike. "In harsh times such as these, no trespasser is accepted without interrogation."

Kagome sighed as she lowered her food and look sadly at her reflection in the steaming soup. "We really aren't in Tokyo anymore."

Ren gave her a strange look. "To-ky-o?" she pronounced the name slowly, the word strange on her tongue. "Never heard of it. Is that where your people are from?"

"Ahh!" Kaori laughed nervously as she pinched Kagome's foot, making the sleeping nerves jolt in a sudden burst of painful tingles. "Yeah, so we should probably be getting back now." she raised her bowl back to her lips and took another sip of the rich flavorful stew. _'Though we have no idea how.'_

The old priestess quietly watched the two girls carefully, trying to see how and why she noticed something about them. Was it the cold, calm look in their strangely colored eyes or was the faint aura she felt around them? She could not figure out which one it was. As she continued to gaze at the twins a rather sad memory surfaced within the ocean of her mind.

_Dark, sagging clouds hung low in the sky as blood splattered on the ground, forming a puddled around the two women as a young girl around the age of seven clung to the hakama of the one with a gaping wound on her right shoulder._

"_Sisters, please, you must." the girl cried._

_A woman with long ebony hair and piercing hazel eyes kneeled down towards the little girl, placing her hand over her still bleeding wound. "Ren, listen well. We don't have much time left in this world."_

"_Kikyou-onee-sama, please don't talk like that." Ren pleaded, tugging at her haori and tried to help her stand back on her feet. "We'll get you to a healer and you're going to be alright."_

_The other woman with her long black back tied back in a low ponytail, the left side of her body scorched almost beyond recognition, narrowed her eyes. "Now, Ren, listen to your older sisters." she cringed in pain, it took nearly all her strength to just speak._

_Ren looked at her older sister, fear evident in her large brown eye. "But, Kaede-onee-sama, you two need a healer and..." she pulled at their shirts once more, trying to usher them to the doctor's hut so that he could treat her injured sisters. She was surprised that they were able to defeat the fiends that nearly destroyed their village with such terrible wounds. Kikyou's arm was nearly torn off and would require many stitches just for it to even have a chance at working properly and Kaede needed medicinal salves and aloe to treat her horrible burns._

_Kikyou smiled faintly at her little sister's attempts to save their lives from their inevitable fates. She lifted her left hand and opened her fingers, revealing half of a purplish-pink jewel. "The Shikon no Tama. Ren, you must take this and burn it with our bodies." Her once bright hazel eyes were dulled and glassy._

_Kaede held out her half of the jewel to Ren as well, her breathing labored. "So that it may never fall into the hands of those who would abuse it."_

"_Sisters, please do not talk of such things." Red cried, her brown eye filling with tears as she pushed their hands away from her. "You're the protectors of the jewel."_

"_Ren..." Kikyou smiled softly, her eyes nearly lifeless as she drew in a ragged breath. "I'm sorry." Surcoming to her wounds, the miko fell to her side, her blood pooling around her as the jewel half rolled out of her hand and towards Ren._

"_NO! KIKYOU-ONEE-SAMA!" Ren screamed out, shaking her sister as if that will cause her eyes to open and she would be okay._

_Kaede kneeled next to her twin sister, the grief of losing her too strong. "Ren, we love you. Take care." Her heart throbbed painfully in her chest as her burned flesh finally took its toll on her body. Her hazel eyes lost all the light as she collapsed next to Kikyou._

_The dam holding back Ren's tears broke and they fell in streams down her face and she doubled over. 'KAEDE-ONEE-SAMA! NO!"_ _She pounded her fists on the ground as she let out all her sorrows. Her sisters were dead! Gone and never coming back! Ren screamed when a village man picked her up, kicking and fighting as she demanded to be let down._

_The man merely closed his eyes and held onto her tighter as he ordered two other men to carry out the twin priestesses final wish and began to set up the pyre. Fire blazed high in the sky as the flames licked at the clothing of the two miko inside. The jewel shined brightly as the fire burned away at the holders of it. _

"_We shall take it with us to the next world. So that no evil shall ever come for it."_

Ren stabbed at the hot coals with her iron pike as she gazed into the flames somberly. Fifty years have passed since that day and there has not been a single second where the old woman questioned whether her sisters' deserved to die so prematurely. They had just seen their eighteenth year when their lives were ended. Screams broke the comfortable atmosphere the three women were sitting in as the jumped to their feet. The second they were outside, they had to jump back to avoid being crushed by a dying horse, its side ripped open and organs spilling out.

Looking up at the source of where the animal came flying from the twins' eyes widened. "It's that thing again!"

Mistress Centipede heard the familiar voices of the girls she had capture and turned her eyes on them. "Give me the Shikon no Tama!" she screeched as she twirled her body around, knocking away anyone who dared to get close to her.

The girls bit their lips as they narrowed their eyes as sweat dripped from their hairline. _'Damn her! She's after us!'_

Ren turned her eye on the twins, her voice hoarse with fear for her village and the people living there. "Ye have the jewel?"

Kagome raised her hand as if to defend herself from a fight as she said, "I don't have it!"

"We heard stories about the jewel, but we don't have it." Kaori back her sister up, crossing her arms over her chest. Looking back up at the centipede demon, she knew what they had to do. Sighing, she reached for Kagome's hand and looked her in the eye. She smile faintly when her sister caught on and squeezed her hand. They girls turned when a man ran up to Ren and told all what was going on and how their weapons seemed to do nothing against that creature.

Ren had a grim look on her face as she stared up at the beast, watching it tear into another horse. "We must lure it to the Dry Well."

"Dry Well?" Kagome quipped, tilting her head to the side.

The old woman nodded. "The well in the Forbidden Forest."

Kagome's eyes widened. That must be the well that they had came out of prior that day. Scanning her eyes around for the forest that those men had drug her and Kaori out of. "Which direction is the well." she looked to the east and saw a rainbow of light shining over the foliage of the forest. "Where they lights are shining, right?" she then proceeded to pull her sister over in the direction where the glow was.

"Wait!" Ren called out, her arms stretched as if to grab the girls. She frowned and lowered her hand as she watched Mistress Centipede chase after the twins, screaming for them to stop. The old woman shifted her eyes over to the direction where the Forbidden Forest was located and saw only the pitch black sky above. "How can they see what cannot be seen in the Forbidden Forest?"

"Ren-sama!" a man called out, bringing a horse over to the old miko. He had seen the girls' brave act and wanted to help them the best that he could. When the other village men saw their priestess hop on the stallion and rush off to the east where the forest was located, they quickly followed in suit.

* * *

><p>Kagome pumped her legs harder as she dodged another attack from the creature chasing her and her sister. Glancing back, she screamed as she pulled Kaori to the left and narrowly avoided the lunged Mistress Centipede gave. "I have no idea what is going on, but someone will save us right?" she gasped as she looked over at her older sister.<p>

Kaori struggled to keep up with her sister's pace, nearly tripping twice. "I don't know, Kagome. But...Somebody! Anybody! Please help us!" she yelped when she lost her footing on the loose soil around the waterways and fell to the ground, pulling Kagome down with her. They tumbled a few times, skinning up their knees and the palms of their hands as they tried to break their fall.

Turning around the twins saw Mistress Centipede crawl closer to them and scrambled to their feet, ignoring their stinging wounds as blood pooled in the scrapes.

* * *

><p><em>D-koom! D-koom!<em>

Energy swelled around the Sacred Tree as the arrows pinning the two boy to it glowed faintly. Two pairs of sharp claws flexed as eyelids veiled away to reveal their eyes. Sadistic smirks spread over their lips when a familiar scent in the wind breezed their way. Reflectively they took in a deep breath of the once comforting smell and growled low in their chests.

"I can smell it, Fox." The dark-haired boy said, his voice slightly hoarse.

The silver-haired one nodded slowly, his bright golden eyes narrowed in distaste. "Yes, it is the scent of the blood of the women who tried to kill us."

"And it's getting closer." the other one hissed as he finally remember the predicament they were in. "It's time we took our revenge."

The two youkai reached for the arrows lodged in their chests, closing their fists over the thin wooden shaft only to growl in frustration when the weapons glowed brightly. The arrows rejected them. It was a special type of seal that only the one who cast it could remove it. They were bound to the tree until the women who shot them came to break the spell.

Brooding, the two of them waited patiently for the scents of those girls to come closer and then they will demand to be released from the seal.

* * *

><p>"Give it to me!" Mistress Centipede snarled as she wriggled after her targets, the scent of the jewel took much for her to handle and caused her to go into a frenzy for it. "The Shikon no Tama!" Lifting her upper body, the creature lunged at the twins, barely missing them.<p>

Kaori turned around and yelled at the demon. They've told her multitudes of times that they do not have the jewel. They've never seen the artifact in their entire life! Her greyish-blue eyes widened when the creature raised up it's body against, this time lifting up much higher than before and lunged. A scream was torn from Kagome and Kaori as they were thrown into the air, coming to a skidding stop in front of the Sacred Tree.

Kagome groaned as she rubbed the top of her head. "Okay. That hurt."

"I see we are interacting with insects now, Kikyou." a silk like tenor voice taunted.

The younger twin blinked in confusion as she raised her head and locked eyes with a pair of blazing gold ones. Her mouth dropped open when the large ears on top of his head twitched every now and then as he glared down at her. Elbowing her sister softly, Kagome questioned, "Did he just talk?"

Another rougher, but just as smooth voice snorted, "Of course, you incompetent onna."

Kaori gasped as she turned to see that the dark-haired boy next to the silver-haired one was wide awake as his carmine eyes bore into her own. She was shocked to see the anger and hate that he was broadcasting towards her with just his eyes. Her tongue felt numbed as she dumbly said, "You're talking, too?"

Crimson eyes rolled as he bit out, "Just take it out in one blow like you tried with us, Kaede."

The golden-eyed youkai smirked down at Kagome. "I see you've changed your clothes since the last time I saw you, Kikyou." he looked her up and down slowly, drinking in the sight of her in that short green kimono.

Kagome self-consciously tugged her skirt down over her knees in effort to cover herself from the piercing gaze of the kitsune. "My name is not Kikyou..." she whispered softly.

Kaori narrowed her eyes at the dark-haired youkai, his lips pulled down in a frown. "What are you talking about? My name isn't Kaede..."

The two youkai snapped their heads up when the wind changed and a loud echoing roar ripped through the sky. A vibration went down the tree as they said, "It comes." Not even three seconds after the demons spoke, Mistress Centipede scrambled down the tree, twisting her long scaly body around the base as her hands stretched out for the twins. The girls screamed in terror as they covered their faces with their hands.

Arrows whizzed through the night sky, soaring with precision towards the centipede youkai. The sharp-pointed heads burrowed deep into her flesh, blood pouring from the entry wounds. The ropes tied to the arrows were pulled taut as the villagers dragged her body away from the girls. The twins let out a sigh of relief, placing their hands over their fast beating hearts. Kagome and Kaori flashed grateful smiles to the village men.

"Pathetic." the two pinned youkai. "I'm disappointed in you. The miko we knew would have never wasted time of such vermin."

That did it. Kagome jumped to her feet and ignored the creature that was still trying to grab her in its arms and marched up to the kitsune. "That does it, Mister!" she all but shouted. Kagome was sick and tired of this demon calling her some other girl's name. She was Higurashi Kagome and no one else. "My name is not Kikyou! You've got me confused with some other girl!"

Kaori followed her twin to the tree, staring into the red eyes of the dark-haired youkai. "Why do you keep calling me Kaede! That ain't my name." she snapped, her finger coming up to jab him in the chest. Kaori was sorely tempted to shove that arrow deeper into his body, but she was not the mean. From seeing injuries during Kyudo practice, arrowhead wounds looked very painful.

The golden-eyed youkai scoffed as his partner rolled his eyes. "Stop trying to fool us. There is no way that your blood could smell so..." the two demons paused as the girls' scents wafted up to their noses. While the scent was similar, there was a distinct difference. "You're not them." And now that they've gotten a better look at them, the two of them noticed that these females had grey-tinted blue eyes. The women they knew had hazel eyes. These girls had wavy hair that stopped at the middle of their backs, while Kikyou and Kaede's was straight and went down past their hips when let down.

"Duh!" the girls stated, crossing their arms over their chests. "That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

"My name is Kagome. Ka-Go-Me!"

"It's Kaori. "Ka-O-Ri!"

The fox-eared boy sighed almost wistfully as his silver ears flattened against his skull. "You're right. You're not them." he looked down at the out of the corner of a single golden eye. "They were much more intelligent looking and very beautiful.

"Hn." the other one nodded, closing his eyes and tilting his head back against the bark of the tree.

The twins jerked their heads back as if they'd been slapped. Did they just say that the looked dumb? The twins did not know what to say as they settled for gritting their teeth and glaring at the demons. They shouted when clawed hands gripped their shoulders tightly; Mistress Centipede managed to break away from her captors. Kagome grabbed the closest thing to her, which happened to be the kitsune's forelocks of silver hair.

"Let go of me!" she screamed.

The boy snarled as pain shot down his body from his skull as his hair was being pulled to the point where he thought the girl might rip it out. Baring his fangs at Kagome, he growled, "You let go of me."

"I advise you to release me, Onna." the dark-haired demon scowled down at Kaori, who grabbed onto the white scarf he wore over his black cloak.

She shot him a dirty look. "And let that thing get me!" Kaori shot back, her voice a frightened pitch. "Not a chance!"

The galloping of horses came closer as the old miko came riding in, pulling the reins to make the stallion come to halt. When a villager announced that the two pinned youkai have awakened from their seal, her brown eye widened. _'What? But my sisters' spell should have lasted forever!'_

Mistress Centipede dug her claws into their twins' shirts as she yanked on them harder, trying to forced them to let go. She snarled when that only made them cling on tighter. She opened her mouth, her lips spreading open further to accommodate her her long glistening fangs. Saliva dripped from the pointed tips as she hissed, "I'll devour you whole! Shikon no Tama and all!"

Crimson eyes sliced over to look at the kitsune. _Shikon no Tama? Isn't that the artifact that we were after?_

The fox's molten eyes locked with the dark-haired demon's. _Yes, it is._

The twins' eyes widened as the centipede woman launched herself at them, her fangs reflecting in their frightened gaze. Lifting out their hand, they screamed for Mistress Centipede to stop and the light that emitted from their fingertips when they were in the well made itself present as it blasted the demon away from them. The force of the light ripped the youkai's arms off of her body as she flew back several feet. Kagome and Kaori slid to the ground as they stared in wonder at their hands.

"We did that back at the well..."

"You damn bitch!"

Kagome watched in horror as the creature lunged at her sister, biting into her side, blood spraying everywhere as she ripped something out. She screamed when Mistress Centipede tossed Kaori aside in the air and turned around for her. Cringing at the pain at came with the vicious bite the youkai gave her, Kagome saw a glassy purplish-pink jewel half was torn out of her body. _'It came from inside us.'_ she stared at the gem as it floated through the air in front of her face. _'Is that the Shikon no Tama?' _Kagome groaned when she landed on her injured side.

"Those jewel halves," the fox said sharply, his tongue lit with poison. "Give them to me."

Kaori pressed her hand against her bleeding wound, cringing at how deep it was. "You want us to what?"

The ruby-eyed youkai growled low under his breath. "The jewel shards!" he snarled at the girls. "Hand them over!"

Mistress Centipede wrapped her long red and green scaly body around the tree, circling around the twins' body and trapping them against the two demons. She chuckled softly as she lowered her face down to stare the pinned teenagers. The monster locked eyes with the two youkai and smirked, "I've heard of some kitsune whelp and his wretched hybrid companion panning after the jewel. It's you, two, isn't?"

"A whelp am I?" the silver-haired demon sneered, baring his fangs at the creature. "I could easily kill you for that."

"Does a death wish cause you to talk to me that way?" the red-eyed youkai growled lowly at the centipede.

'_Kitsune? Hybrid? Just what are they?'_ The twins gazed up at the two demons they were trapped against.

She laughed scornfully. "What can you do?" a wide grin spread over her lips as the centipede youkai lowered her upper body towards the jewel shards, "Can't move, can you? It looks as though your powers are being sealed. All of you are helpless." her long tongue slipped out of her mouth as she ignored the warning growl the pinned demons gave. Mistress Centipede scooped the two halves of the Shikon no Tama into her mouth and swallowed them whole. Her severed arms glowed bright red as they flew back into their prospective places.

Kagome gripped the white toga of the kitsune's as she said, "It's rearming."

"Hey?" Kaori whispered, tightening her finger in the dark-haired boy's cloak and tugged at it until he looked down at her. "Are you strong?"

He narrowed her eyes at her. "What?"

The elder sister nodded her head over at Kagome, who was staring at Mistress Centipede with fear evident in her eyes. "You and your friend; you aren't normal. Are you and him strong enough to beat that thing?"

"Hn." he turned away from her, looking back at the opponent in front of him and so that he could not look at a face that he did not wish to see.

Mistress Centipede smiled as her face began to split down the middle before arched her back, ripping her tanned skin off to reveal ugly, spotted brown flesh. She moaned in pleasure as she body was filled with energy that has been dormant for far too long. Her eyes turned red and bulged out of their socket as her teeth grew into sharp jagged fangs. "At last my power is complete!"

Kagome curled her finger tighter into the boy's toga, her knuckles brushing against his chest slightly. "It's even uglier than before." she commented and soon her her sister's soft snickers from her right and she glanced over to flash Kaori a cheeky grin.

The centipede woman turned her head and hissed as she began to constrict her body around the base of the tree, crushing the twins' bodies. How dare they call her ugly! Her power was marvelous! It was beautiful! At first, Mistress Centipede was going to allow them a swift death by devouring them whole, but after hearing that; she changed her mind. She'll crush the life out of those pitiful humans!

"It's crushing me!" the girls screamed as their bones grind against each other as the monster wind its body tighter.

"Hey." the silver-haired demon said softly. "Can you pull out this arrow?"

Kagome blinked in surprise at the tone he was using with her. Ever since she's met this strange boy, he made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with her. "Excuse me? What did you say?"

He looked down at her with bright golden eyes, his face devoid of all emotions as he repeated what he asked. The younger sister shifted her eyes over to Kaori to see her speaking to the other youkai and it seemed that he asked the same as the kitsune for the older sister was hesitantly reaching for the arrow jutting from the hybrid's chest.

Kagome took in another breath, which was difficult because the centipede woman was still strangling her with her long scaly body. "I'm not sure..." Her fingers barely brushed the shaft of the weapon when the old priestess' voice called out to them.

"You must not pull it out!" Ren yelled at them. "Those arrows are Youko Kurama and Jaganshi Hiei's seals! They must not be freed, lest they will kill us all!"

The kitsune scoffed at the old woman and narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't be a fool, Babaa." he hissed between his teeth.

The hybrid bared his fangs at Ren as his eyes flashed dangerously. "Do you want to become that vermin's bait? If it completely absorbs the Shikon, it's the end!" he turned his burning gaze down at Kaori, his voice cold and detached as he said, "Do you want to die, Onna? Here with everyone watching?"

Kagome let out a breath as she made her decision. Curling her finger around the thing wooden shaft of the arrow, she flashed Kaori a quick look. "Sis, I don't know about you," she yanked on the thin weapon, "but I choose to live!" The arrow in her hand vanished in brilliant flash of light, desegregating in silver glitters.

"Ren-sama!" the villager voiced out, his eyes wide with shock. "Youko Kurama's seal has been broken!"

"I'm going on a whim here, and ask if your name is Hiei then?" Kaori said as she placed her hand on the arrow stabbing out of his chest. "Well, I'm not ready to die!" she yanked her hand back, breaking the seal on the hybrid in a flash of pale violet light, the arrow dissipating in glittering silver slivers.

The old miko's body went numb as she watched her sisters' spells being broken; by mere children no less! Those special seals should have lasted forever since only Kikyou and Kaede could remove them. So how were these girls able to break them? Unless...

_B-thump. B-thump. B-thump._

"Youko..." Kagome said softly, her eyes wide as she felt the kitsune pulsate beneath her fingers.

"Hiei?" The older twin gasped as she tried to catch his eyes, but his bangs prevented that. Soon a soft low and dark chuckle reached her ears, which quickly turned into a full-out evil laughter. The twins screamed when the creature let out a hissing roar as she wrapped her scaly body around them, enveloping the group completely. There was a flash of ebony flames surrounded by a rose-colored light as Mistress Centipede's long body was blasted away, her thick red blood spraying out over the small clearing.

Kagome and Kaori cried out as they were thrown away from the two demons, landing on their injured sides.

Youko somersaulted backwards over the centipede youkai, his fingers running through his long silver waterfall of hair. "Hiei, this one is mine."

The shorter demon merely nodded his head as he stepped back and leapt in a nearby tree. Mistress Centipede hissed as she charged at the kitsune, her mouth open and saliva dripping from her fangs. Youko smirked as he pulled a small green kernel from the base of his scalp and fed his youki into it. The seed bloomed into a beautiful red rose - the twins scrunched their noses up at that. What could he possibly hope to do with a flower? The blossom began to glow faintly as the kitsune continued to fill it with his power and the petals exploded off of the stem and it elongated into thorny whip.

"I told you I would kill you." he said coldly as he flung the whip towards Mistress Centipede, slicing her down the middle, bisecting her and crimson fluid colored the ground as the grass was soaked with it, Kagome and Kaori watched with sick mortification as Youki answered the elder sister's question from earlier. The kitsune was strong. Really strong.

Pieces of the creature's body began twitching, scaring the living daylights out of the girls. How could it still be moving after it had been cut down by Youko? They saw its end with their own eyes. Kagome cringed behind her sister, whimpering softly as Kaori in turn wrapped her arms around her little sister. "Obaa-san, it's still moving!" the twins said in unison.

"Quickly. Find the glowing flesh!" Ren ordered. "The Shikon no Tama should be inside." she repeated her command to the girls, this time telling them that if they did not find the flesh, the monster would come back to life over and over again. No matter how many times they try to kill it.

Kagome flinched when the flesh twitched once more and began to scan the pieces of Mistress Centipede's sliced up body. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at a far away piece that seemed to be glowing faintly. She grabbed Kaori's arm and pointed at the large hunk of flesh where she saw the sparkle. There hidden deep inside the chunk was two glowing half-moons. "There!"

Ren stiffly walked over to the twitching piece of carcass and withdrew the halves with a low grunt. The instant she removed them, the skin melted off the body and left nothing but bones left behind. She moved back over to the girls and held her hands out toward them, which the reflectively cupped their palms together. "Ye two must bow protect the jewel." she dropped one of the shards in each of the girls' hands and leaned back. _'Ye who resemble the dead twin miko, Kikyou and Kaede,'_

"But, why?" Kagome looked up at the old woman with a questioning look in her eyes.

Kaori picked up where her sister had left off. "Why would we have a jewel wanted by youkai?"

The sound of bone being crushed resounded throughout the forest and everyone turned around to see Youko take another threatening step towards the girls with Hiei bounding out to the ree he was perched in.

"Exactly." the kitsune said lowly as he snapped his whip against the ground, bring up pieces of the earth.

Hiei swept back his cloak, revealing a katana as he placed his hand on the hilt of the blade. "Give us the jewel now, and I may consider letting you keep your heads." his eyes and voice took on a dangerous edge as he watched the twin's reaction carefully.

Kaori grabbed her sister and pulled her closer to her as they bother said, "What?" They looked into the cold, emotionless eyes of the two demons and saw the seriousness on their faces.

* * *

><p>I'm happy with the development I made in the chapter's improvements. I'll keep my guest reviews on in case any of my former readers want to comment on how they liked or disliked the new quality of the chapters :)<p>

Review!

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	3. Chapter 2

Making changes and adding new things. And Happy 2nd Birthday One Jewel, Two Souls!

Disclaimer: (See first chapter)

* * *

><p>One Jewel, Two Souls<p>

* * *

><p>Recap:<p>

_"But, why?" Kagome looked up at the old woman with a questioning look in her eyes._

_Kaori picked up where her sister had left off. "Why would we have a jewel wanted by youkai?"_

_The sound of bone being crushed resounded throughout the forest and everyone turned around to see Youko take another threatening step towards the girls with Hiei bounding out to the tree he was perched in._

_"Exactly." the kitsune said lowly as he snapped his whip against the ground, bring up pieces of the earth._

_Hiei swept back his cloak, revealing a katana as he placed his hand on the hilt of the blade. "Give us the jewel now, and I may consider letting you keep your heads." his eyes and voice took on a dangerous edge as he watched the twin's reaction carefully._

_Kaori grabbed her sister and pulled her closer to her as they bother said, "What?" They looked into the cold, emotionless eyes of the two demons and saw the seriousness on their faces._

* * *

><p>Kagome and Kaori flinched at the cold glare the two demons were gracing them with. They felt a sigh of relief build up in their chests when the village men surrounded the youkai. Ren had thrown her hand out in front of the twins as if to protect the girls from Youko and Hiei.<p>

"Ye must not let them get the jewel." she said sternly as she watched the two demons carefully, gauging their next course of action, "Ye must protect it with your lives."

The wind shifted, blowing the twins' hair out over their shoulder. The two youkai growled low in their chests as the familiar scent evaded their olfactory senses. While there was a faint difference in the smell, it was almost the same. Too close to the scents they've come to despise over the time they were sealed.

"I can't stand it." Hiei murmured, a hiss laced through his voice.

"Pardon?" Kaori quipped, narrowing her eyes at the dark-haired demon.

He shot her a look that was filled with so much hatred that both of the girls were shaking as they hid behind Ren. "I can't stand your scent." he said bluntly.

Youko nodded his head as he flashed the girls his fangs, his ears pulled back on his skull. "Neither can I."

Kagome reared her head back as if she'd been slapped, her mouth dropping open as she sputtered, "Did they just say that we stink?" Her face turned red with anger as she balled her hands up in tight fists and was about to give those youkai a piece of her mind when Kaori yanked her back.

Hiei curled his fingers around the hilt of his katana, pulling the gleaming silver blade out of its sheath. Pointing the sword at the girls, he said in a cold and detached voice, "I've decided."

Youko raised his arm that held his Rose Whip and the thorny green vines crawled down the length, entangling around the appendage and created a sharp sword-like weapon. A sadistic smile tilted at his lips at the thought of finally ridding himself of the woman who smelled too much like one he hated the most. "You, two, cannot live. Especially when you smell like a person I don't like!"

Kagome felt her eyes widen in fear as the two youkai charged at them at an inhuman pace. "Kaori, run!" she grabbed her stunned sister's hand and dragged her, trying to put as much distance between the demons and themselves as she could. She vaguely hear Kaori yelp out her name before she was pulled down to the ground. The younger sister lifted her eyes when she felt something swipe just above her head and watched as a few strands of her long raven hair float to the ground.

Kaori frowned as she saw pieces of her tresses fall to the forest floor in front of her. "You really are trying to kill us, aren't you?" she accused, pointing a finger at them.

"Of course." the hybrid twisted his katana in his hands. "Next time I won't miss." he promised darkly.

"Geeh..." Kagome cringed at his dark tone before jumping to her feet and pulling Kaori up. "He's serious. Come on!" she tugged her sister by the hand as they continued to run from the demons that were hellbent on trying to kill them.

Trying to help the twins the villagers pulled arrows from their quivers and notched them on their bows. Taking careful aim, they shot the thin weapons with a low twang. Youko's ears twitched before a smirk slithered onto his lips as he dodged the arrows with graceful ease. Spinning in the air, he used his blade-like vine weapon to slice through the trees surrounding the men. He chuckled as they scattered to avoid being crushed by the topiary and he landed gently on a stump. "You really think that you can harm me?"

"Ren-sama, what should we do?" a village man questioned as he dropped the arrow he was about to notch on the ground, his eyes wide. "If we don't help those girls Youko Kurama and Jaganshi Hiei will kill them."

The elderly miko sighed as she reached inside her haori, pulling out to rosaries - a solid black one and a pure white one. "I thought it would come to this."

Hiei leapt from tree to tree at an alarming fast pace, almost as if he were teleporting from each branch to the next. His katana gleamed in the dull moonlight as he jumped high in the air with the blade high above his head. "Are you ready to die?" He sliced through the tree they were hiding behind, a dark smirk on his face.

Kaori jumped back when the splintered wood flew into her eyes and she shielded her face from the flying bark. "By your hands? No thank you!" she gasped when she was suddenly yanked back by her collar.

Youko joined with Hiei as they brought their bladed weapons down, just missing Kaori by a few inches as her sister jerked her back. Their attacks slammed into the ground, large chunks of earth shooting up from the combined forces. The twins looked in fear at the large craters in the ground that where the older sister was standing just prior to being pulled by Kagome. Ren began muttering a chant under her breath as the two rosaries in her withered hands began to glow brightly before flying off.

Hiei soared through the air, prolonging this game of chase as white beads assembled themselves around his neck. Landing on his feet with ease, he lifted the rosary and raised a dark brow. "What the hell is this?"

"What is this?" The kitsune questioned as a black rosary formed around his throat.

"Quick. Kagome! Kaori! The word!" Ren shouted hoarsely.

Kagome turned her head around, her eyes filled with confusion and fear as she and her twin asked, "Word? What word?" they shouted in alarm as the soil above the cliff they were stranded on gave away and the slid down the face of it, their shards flying out of their hands and coming to a stop on the bridge. They heard Ren repeat her order for them to speak the word that will subdue Youko and Hiei.

Youko snorted as he flipped through the air, landing on the bridge. "Subdue us? Don't make me laugh."

Hiei landed next to the kitsune, kneeling to scoop up the jewel half that was slowly crawling towards him. "Take my advice, Onna. If you wish to keep your life, then stay down."

Kagome looked over at her sister with a worried look in her eyes. If what Ren said was true about the Shikon, those two should not have the jewel. Their power was strong enough even without the Shikon. "Kaori, what word should we say and who should we say it for?"

Kaori did a double take as she drew in a breath of surprise. "Why are you asking me?"

"Because, you're the one with all the plans!" Kagome shot back. Her eyes widened when she saw the two demons pick up their halves of the Shikon no Tama and began to put them together. "Hurry!"

"Uhm..." Kaori stuttered as she fiddled with her fingers before snapping them. "You do something about Youko and I'll take care of Hiei!"

The younger twin nodded and quickly racked her brain for something, anything that will stop the kitsune from acquiring the powerful artifact. She glanced up at the two of them and saw how Youko's ears moved back and forth and an idea popped in her head. He'd probably throttle her for it, but right now, Kagome did not care. "Youko! Tsuke (heel)!"

The black beads around his neck flashed a brilliant blue color as the charm activated and slammed the kitsune to the ground, the jewel shard flying out of his hand. "How in the hell?" he growled as he lifted himself off the wooden bridge and fingered the rosary.

'_Nice job, little sis.'_ A mischievous gleam entered Kaori's eyes as she set her gaze on Hiei. A small snicker left her lips as she followed her sister gag and said, "Hiei! Fuse (down)!"

"You-" the hybrid could not finish his sentence because the white rosary around his throat flashed violet before weighing him down with its incantation, faceplanting him into the bridge. He quickly flipped into a sitting position and yanked at the beads, trying to force them off and making them flash repeatedly. "What the hell it this thing?"

Ren hobbled over to the top of the cliff, her eye narrowed at the two demons as they tried to break the string of beads. "I'm sorry Kurama and Jaganshi, but even you lack the power to remove them. Those rosaries are meant to subdue your powers."

Youko growled low in his chest. "Silence, Babaa! Unless you want me to help you to your grave.

"Hn." Hiei nodded in agreement, folding his arms over his chest.

The old miko sighed and rolled her eye before turning to the two girls, who had risen to their feet. "The word please?"

Kagome pointed her finger at the kitsune, a victorious smile stretched over her lips as she said in a stern tone. "Youko, tsuke."

"Fuse, Hiei." Kaori said in a smug tone as she mimicked his posture.

The rosaries around the youkai's throats glowed brightly, forcing them to the ground and the impact of the both of them caused the already cracked bridge to collapse where they were standing. There was a loud splashing noise as they demons crashed into river below. They uttered a string of curses as the current dragged them downstream. The twins cautiously approached the bridge and picked up their perspective jewel shards and clutched them to their chests.

Ren turned around and tossed over her shoulder, "Shall we return to the village now?"

Gazing down at the large hole the two demons made, the girls commented, "It really worked." and flashed each other a grin.

* * *

><p>Kaori winced and sucked in a deep breath as Ren applied medicinal herbs to the wound on her side. She appreciated the old woman for dressing her wounds, but that gooey looking paste stung something fierce. The older girl shot Kagome a mean look when she heard her sister snickering quietly and she opened her mouth to remind the younger twin almost cried when Ren said that she had to stitch up Kagome's wound and that there would be no way to numb the pain. (It was just a cruel joke on the old miko's side.)<p>

Ren turned to rise the red stained cloth in a bowl of water, coloring it a faint pink. "Ye will obtain far worse wounds that this, child. Now that the Shikon no Tama has resurfaced in this age."

Kagome gazed at the elderly woman as she tended to Kaori's wound, wrapping it tightly with white bandages. "You said that my sister and I have to protect the jewel." she fingered the purplish-pink shard that dangled from a white chain Ren had given her. "Why?"

"You and young Kaori must keep the jewel away from youkai and humans alike who want to obtain their petty wishes." the old miko tied off the bandages around the elder sister's abdomen and patted her back, letting her know she was finished. Gathering the tools, Ren stood to her feet. "Evil beings will come swarming after it."

Kaori narrowed her eyes as she turned to face the wall closest to the door. "Speaking of petty youkai," she stared at the two demons, who were casually leaning against the wall, their eyes closed in calm irritation. "What are you two still doing here?"

Youko cracked open a single golden eye, "We desire the jewel. Give it to us." he said boredly before sliding his eye back close and crossed his arms over his chest.

Hiei merely grunted in agreement as he rested his sword against his shoulder.

The elder sister lifted the jewel fragment she wore around her neck on a black chain and frowned as her brows furrowed. "Why do you need this?" she recalled the terrible strength they displaced just a few hours ago, the damage they caused to the forest. "You, two, are strong enough."

"Aah." Ren hummed as she stored away the medical instruments. "They are just mere thieves. Youko Kurama, last of the spirit kitsune and self-proclaimed King of Thieves, and Jaganshi Hiei, imiko."

The hybrid hissed in outrage as he punched a large hole in the wall he was perched up against. "Okay, this is where I draw the line."

"We are not going to allow some babaa talk like she knows us." Youko said through his fangs.

The old woman sighed as she made her way over to the oven, "So, ye don't remember me?" she sat down with a grunt. "I thought of such."

Hiei stood up straighter as his hand hovered over the hilt of his katana. "What utter nonsense are you spouting, Babaa?"

Ren picked up a block of wood and tossed it into the fires of the black stove. "I am the younger sister of Kikyou and Kaede, the ones who sealed ye to the tree. I am Ren."

"So you're the child that was alway around them?" Youko lifted an elegantly arched brow.

The elderly priestess tossed another block into the fire. "Yes. Fifty years have passed and I have grown old."

The kitsune merely tilted his head to the his, his long silver hair falling over his shoulder. "If you have aged this much, the Kikyou and Kaede must have aged as well."

Hiei allowed a cold smile to spread over his face as he placed his sword back against his shoulder and perched his foot up on the wall. "Humans are such frail creatures."

"My sisters did not have to worry about aging." Ren said somberly as she tossed another piece of wood into the oven, making the orange flames jump and lick greedily at the bark. "They died the same day they shot ye with their sacred arrows."

The two demons peaked their eyes open almost sadly as they gazed out the window at the sky. So they were already dead? They died the same day that they presumably killed the two youkai.

"That so?" the hybrid said coldly, amusement fluttering over his strong features.

"That's too bad, really." Youko placed his hand over his chest in an mocking way as he flashed a, what should have been, sympathetic look at the old woman.

Kagome and Kaori were sorely tempted to said the word of subjugation as punishment for saying such this in a cruel way. Under no condition should you ever mock the dead! It was disrespectful to both the deceased and the family of said person. They opened their mouths, the words on the tip of their tongues when Ren cut them off.

The old miko gave the demons a hard look as she closed the door of the stone, satisfied with the current temperature of the small hut. "Don't ye rest just yet, Kurama and Jaganshi, I now know that young Kagome and young Kaori are my sisters' reincarnations."

That sent a shock down the twins' bodies as they snapped their mouths shut and pointed a confused finger at themselves. "You really think so, Obaa-san?"

"Yes," Ren nodded, "the jewel being inside your bodies are proof enough. Ye must protect it with your lives. Never let out of your sight."

* * *

><p>Kagome walked beside her sister, the shard of the jewel clutched between her fingers as she twisted it this way and that way, watching the sun reflect off it. "We have to protect this thing?" she sighed and release the fragment and it settled back against the base of her throat. The younger girl glanced over her her sister, "Kaori, how do you supposed to do that?"<p>

Kaori shrugged her shoulders. "I really don't know, little sis." she folded her arms over her chest as she pondered on what they should do. "Besides we must find a way back home."

The buzzing sound of the village people resounded through the girls' ears and they tried to block out their conversations. They were not ones to eavesdrop on other, but one particular thing reached them before they could block it out. The some of the village men were talking about them being the reincarnations of Kikyou and Kaede. Word spreads around fast.

They strained their ears to pick up on what the men were saying and soon bright blushes spread over their faced as the men began called them "Kikyou-sama" and "Kaede-sama" as the bowed to them and asked for their blessings.

Kagome groaned and grabbed her sister's hand. "They're worshipping us."

"Let's get out of here." Kaori gripped, a bit peeved that the village men called them by some other woman's name. Just because Ren thinks that they are those girls' reincarnation did not give them permission to starting calling them someone that they were not!

* * *

><p>Youko sat on an opposite branch from his partner as they gazed out into the bright blue sky, lost in the past and current events that transpired. He breathed through his nose and exhaled through his mouth as he sighed almost mournfully, "They died and we never knew."<p>

Hiei looked out at the sky, a slight sadden look in his garnet-colored eyes as he let out a soft, "Hn."

The fox's ears twitched as a whizzing sound came closer to them and he placed his hand behind his back. The projectile slammed into his palm and it felt smooth, almost soft in his hand. He signaled for Hiei to calm down when he saw the hybrid place his hand over his sword. "It's fruit." Youko said calmly, chuckling softly when the imiko glared at the orange pear-shaped produce.

"Hey, don't you want to eat?" Kagome's voice called up to them from below the tree they were sitting in.

The two demons looked down at the girls and saw that they were stacked down with various fruits and vegetables. The kitsune arched a brow as the hybrid scowled down at them.

"Onna, where did you get all that?" Hiei questioned, his tone hard as steel.

Kaori frowned up at the dark-haired youkai and huffed under her breath. "I told you that my name is Kaori. The villagers gave it to us."

Kagome giggled lightly behind her hand. It was kind of entertaining seeing her normally in control and at ease older sister getting upset over something trivial as to not being called by her name. "Would you like to come down and help us eat it?" she offered with a sincere smile.

Youko tossed the pear-shaped fruit back down at the girls, his bright eyes narrowed. "What are you, two, trying to scheme?"

The younger twin caught the produce in her right hand clumsily, nearly dropping everything else in her arms. "We're not scheming anything." she took a bit of the orange fruit, enjoying the sweet juice that flooded over her taste buds.

Hiei's scowl deepened as he hissed, "Don't play dumb, Onna."

"We aren't playing dumb!" Kaori snapped, feeling her anger get the best of her. Why did some random guy that she just met yesterday get her so riled up like that?

"You must really hate us, don't you?" the way Kagome formed the question made it sound more like a statement as she handed her sister one of her pear-shaped produce for her to try.

Youko rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back further against the tree. "That is an understatement."

"Look," Kaori began, setting her food down, "It's not us that you hate. Our names are Higurashi Kagome and Higurashi Kaori." she tried to explain, but huffed when the demons turned a deaf ear towards her. "We are not Kikyou or Kaede!" the second those words left her lips, the older twin felt her back collide into the tree and the cold touch of metal against her neck.

Hiei pressed his katana deeper into the girl's throat, drawing a thin line of blood. "You will never speak of those names again!" he growled low in his chest when she merely looked up at him with defiance in her grey-tinted eyes. The hybrid leaned into his blade with every intent on ending her life when Youko's voice called out to him.

"Let her go, Hiei." his partner said sternly from above. "She's not even worth to die by your sword."

The imiko looked up at the kitsune, nodding his head slowly, he moved his blade away from the girl's neck. Hiei smirked at the thin still bleeding cut that ran across her throat before sheathing his katana and jumping back in the tree.

Youko gave him a disapproving look before turning his sharp gaze back on the girls, "Stop trying to lure us into a false sense of security. It won't work."

Kagome dug around in her pocket and pulled out a green handkerchief, ripping it down the middle so that she could wrap her sister's wound. Once she was finished with her task, she glanced back up at the two demons. "It won't work you say?" she wrapped her arm around Kaori. "That's too bad sense all I have to say is 'tsuke'..."

"And if you ever get violent again all I have to say is 'fuse'..." Kaori said, albeit strained because of the wound on her throat.

The rosaries around the youkai's neck glowed bright as the incantation was provoked, pulled them down to the ground with a loud thunderous crash. The two demons growled low in their chest as they impatiently waited for the subjection to wear off. They knew the instant they find a way to get rid of these beads those girls would be the first to perish.

The younger twin covered her mouth with her hand and faked a small gasp. "Whoops. Sorry Youko."

Kaori grinned smugly through the pain in her neck. "Yeah. So sorry Hiei."

The hybrid pushed himself off the ground and glared death at the older sister but said nothing as he leapt back in the tree where he wallowed in his own imagination. One where the twin would be killed in the most excruciating, gruesome of deaths. Each one slow and torturous as she pleaded for mercy that would never be given to her.

* * *

><p>Kagome yawned lowly as she turned over on her sleeping mat, pulling her blanket over her head to look at her sister. "It's been two days now."<p>

Kaori peeked her eyes open to find her younger sister curled up in a ball, snuggled close like she used to do when they were children. Smiling slightly, she threw her arm around Kagome's waist and pulled her closer, resting her head on the younger girl's shoulder. "I know, little sis. I'm starting to miss home." she scoffed softly, "Heck, I even miss Souta."

"We've got to find a way back." the younger twin murmured before sleep seeped into her consciousness.

"Yeah." The elder sister closed her eyes and was soon fast asleep.

Unknown to the sleeping girls inside the small hut Ren provided for them, several small, weak demons gathered right outside on a tree, their eyes gleaming hungrily as the scent of the jewel hit them full force. The bird-like creatures cawed loudly when the green leaves began slashing at them, killing a few of them before the flock flew off.

Youko leapt into the tree, his eyes hardened as he swept his hand through his hair and pulled out a small handful of seeds. Balling his hand into a loose fist, he brought it to his lips and blew, shooting the kernels out at the youkai. The second they struck the little demons, Youko's eyes glowed a bright white color and his Shimaneki Sou sprouted, killing the bird-like creatures. Snapping his head up at the sound of a crow's call, the kitsune realized that he'd missed one.

"Leave it, Youko." Hiei's voice said from below the tree. "They only came because they scented the jewel."

The silver kitsune turned his head away from his partner to the moon, where the demon that managed to get away was flying. "That may be so, but I have a feeling that something grotesque is about to appear."

* * *

><p>"Kagome!" Kaori called down, wandering around the village trying to locate her missing sister. Kagome had been missing since this morning when the elder sister woke up to an empty sleeping mat and the spot where her sister had laid cold. "Where has that girl gone?" she smiled when she spotted the elderly priestess just up ahead. "Ren-obaa-san! Have you seen my sister?"<p>

Ren shook her head as she set down the curry brush she was holding. "No I have not. Has she run off?" she asked, her eye wide with fear, "I told her that it is not safe to leave the village!"

"Crap." the elder sister knew just how impulsive Kagome could get when she thinks she found out something. Looking over at the Forbidden Forest, she spotted the florescent pink lights that tinged the sky. "I know where she is heading. I need to find her!" with those words said, she took off towards the forest.

The old woman stretched her hand out in futile as the younger girl rushed past her. "Kaori, wait!"

* * *

><p>Kagome cursed as she stumbled over an upturned root, glaring at it for a few seconds before continuing her journey through the Forbidden Forest. She pushed passed another set of leafy branches, clearing a path for herself. <em>'Dry Well. Forbidden Forest.'<em> the younger girl kept repeating those two sentences in her mind like a mantra as she continued her trek. Kagome failed to noticed the three pairs of hungry eyes that followed her every move.

She ducked under a rather large upturned tree root and pushed through another set of bushy; her eyes widened at what she found. It was the clearing that she and Kaori appeared it, the old worn well lay directly ahead of her. _'That's the well we came out of! Kaori will be so proud of me.'_ She grinned as she patted herself on the back mentally.

Just as she turned around to began making her way back to the village and gather her sister, three bandits jumped off the small cliff. Two of the grabbed her arms while the other covered her mouth with his grimy hands. The snickered as they forced Kagome to come with them, dragging her away from the well and away from the village.

'_Why me?'_ the younger twin thought as she was snatched away.

* * *

><p>Kaori ran through the forest, searching for any signs of her sister. She looked high and low for Kagome, but to no avail. Sighing, the older twin knew what she had to do. Backtracking her steps back to the village, Kaori went to the spot where the two demons normally resided. She found them reclining in the trees. "Youko! Hiei! You have to help me find Kagome."<p>

Hiei opened his eyes lazily as he stared down at the petite woman below him. "And why should we, Onna."

The girl's eye twitched as she gritted her teeth. "I've told you that my name is Kaori! Learn it! Got it! Use it!" she snapped, her eyes narrowed into a sharp glare.

Youko rolled his eyes at the way the older twin was behaving. Had she not realized that Hiei did not call anyone he did not deem worthy by name. Hell, the hybrid still calls him 'Fox' but on occasion he will call Youko by name. "Answer the question."

"Because, you stupid arrogant youkai, she's my sister!" her eyes gleamed knowingly as she knew just what would get them into helping her. "Plus there's the small fact that she has half of the Shikon!" before she could even blink a small shriek of surprise left her lips as she was swept off her feet and into the arms of Hiei. "Don't do that!" she snapped.

The imiko ignored her for most part as he turned his sharp gaze on Youko, who running beside him, "Fox, do you have the other one's scent yet?"

The kitsune nodded, his longer legs and strides aiding him in keeping up with the smaller demon. "Yes, she is just north of where we are. About two kilometers away."

"Hn." Hiei, unconsciously, tightened his grip on the small woman as he sped faster through the trees, barely landing on them long enough for the wood to bow under his weight.

Kaori squeezed her eyes shut tightly as the wind blew her hair out to the side from the speed the hybrid was going. He was running faster than a speeding metro train. _'Oh my God! He's fast!'_

* * *

><p>"Ow!" Kagome cried out as she was slammed against the floor. Her body immediately began to scream with pain as one of the bandits dug his knees into her back and pulled her hair. She bit her lip to keep from yelling at the nasty man for putting his dirty hands in her long tresses. <em>'Okay. I seriously need a bath!'<em>

The man holding Kagome snickered as he flashed her a smile that revealed several missing teeth. "Oyabun (Boss)!" he called out, his eyes holding a certain light that the girl did not like. "We got the one of the girls you asked for!"

A large man wearing a short kimono that only covered his necessary parts kneeled down next to Kagome. "Her kimono is shorter than mine." He traced his finger up her legs to her forest green skirt, which he pulled on slightly. "You gone catch cold running around in this."

Kagome screamed, finding the strength to tossed the man off her body and snatched her skirt from the other man. Raising her hand back, she let it fly and connected with the man's cheek. "Pervert! Don't do that! You'll rip it!"

"What's the matter, Princess?" a bandit leered, grabbing her arm and tried to pulled her against his chest. "Our hands too dirty for you?"

The younger sister snatched her arm back, swinging her other hand out and slapping the man in the face with enough force to leave a bright red handprint behind. "Don't touch me!" she yelled, her stormy eyes blazed with defiance.

"Hand over the jewel." a voice hiccuped drunkenly.

Kagome gasped as she turned around to see a large man with sickly grey skin emerge from the shadows. His armor hung loosely around his large body. He hiccuped and sake-mixed drool spilled out of his mouth as he demanded for the young woman to give him the jewel. He stumbled over his feet as he made his way over to Kagome and yanked her up by the red scarf around her neck, trying to break the chain her jewel fragment was on.

He blinked slowly in confusion as his beady eyes settled on the half-moon shard. "Where is the other half?"

The younger twin twisted and thrashed in his one handed hold, her nails digging into his flesh. "Let me go!" she shrieked when a blade swept across her face, inches from her neck and nose. She kicked the man in the groin area, forcing to to release her so that he could grab his crotch with both hands.

The large, grey-skinned man hissed as his eyes began to water. "Hold her!" once the pain receded from his sensitive area, he drew his sword from its sheath and brandished it in the dim lighting of their base of operations.

"Aww." two of the bandits whiled as they moved to take Kagome by the arms once more. "Oyabun, you're going to kill her?" they sighed as they took her arms in a firm hold, locking up her elbows so that she could not break free. "Oh well."

Kagome struggled and squirmed in the men's hold, trying futilely to get away as they thrust her upper body out for the larger man to slice at her neck. "What are you...?" she swung her leg out, striking one of the men in the shin, but he ignored the pain as his eyes began to shine with tears. "Let me go!"

The man, who the girl had kicked, had to force himself to not slap her for kicking him. She'd be dead soon anyway. "Quit your struggling!" he yelled before the light reflected of his boss's sword and pain ripped through his body as the blade sliced through his shoulder like melted butter. Blood sprayed out everywhere as his boss kept his weight down on his sword and nearly cut the bandit in half before he realized that he missed the girl completely.

The boss pulled back and the bandit fell to the floor, his eyes glazed over as dark red fluid pooled around his body. He smiled drunkenly as he placed his sword behind his head. "Whoops. Wrong person." he held his sword out and pointed it at Kagome. "This," he belched, "this time, your neck."

* * *

><p>Youko growled lowly as the younger girl's scent drew closer and closer as he sped through the topiary. "What was that foolish girl thinking?" he jumped onto a tree branch gracefully, pausing so that Hiei could catch up. Apparently the hybrid's movements were slowed because of the extra weight he was carrying.<p>

Kaori, who heard what the fox had said since she and Hiei were only a few seconds behind, snapped out, That 'foolish girl' you are referring to is my sister, you stupid kitsune! She was trying to find us a way back home!" she crossed her arms over her chest as she glared up at the much taller demon.

The kitsune showed her his teeth as he returned the glare with one of his own. He smirked when she backed down, boosting his pride of dominance. "Do not think that I won't hesitate to kill you and your sister." he warned, his golden eyes locked with her greyish-blue hued orbs.

"Why? Because we look like Kikyou and Kaede!" the instant Kaori said those words, she felt Hiei drop her from his arms and down onto the hard unforgiving ground. She yelped out in pain when she landed on her bottom and pain ran up the base of her spine. Looking up, the older sister saw the sharp point of the hybrid's sword pointed in her face.

A malicious glint entered his carmine eyes as he growled out, "I thought I told you to never speak of them!" the tip of his katana poked lightly at the skin between her eyes.

Sick and tired of Hiei's arrogant 'I'm superior to you' attitude, Kaori reached up and knocked the blade out of her face. She hissed in pain on the count of cutting her fingers on the sharp blade. "Y'know what? I'm at my wit's end with you threatening my life with this stupid sword! If you're not gonna help me look for my sister then...then... Fuse!" she watched as the white rosary around the imiko's neck flashed violet as she uttered the incantation and Hiei was slammed to the ground. After that she quickly stomped away in search of her twin.

"I'm going to kill her." Hiei growled as he waited for the subduing spell to wear off before he rose to his feet. He dusted off his cloak and placed his sword back into its sheath.

Youko smirked, "Never mind her. Did you get it." his smirk widened into a grin when Hiei nodded and reached inside his cloak, pulling out the glittering Shikon fragment. Good. Now for the other half." the kitsune leapt back up the trees and took off in a sprint. They were about half of kilometer away from the source of Kagome's and the men who took her away.

"Hn." the hybrid grunted as he easily caught up with the fox, his speed allowing him to overtake Youko.

* * *

><p>The Boss tripped over his feet as he swung his sword in a wild messy arc, causing his subordinates plus Kagome to scatter in a frantic frenzy. The bandits cried out, asking their boss just who was he aiming for as they shoved the young woman in front of them. This caused Kagome to snap, her stormy blue eyes darkened with her agitation.<p>

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, looking at them sternly. "Can't you see that there's something wrong with your 'Oyabun'." Placing her hands on her hips, Kagome continued with, "Now get your butts in gear or you will be next." The bandits looked at her with fear in their eyes before ducking low. "Huh? Kyaah!" The younger twin yelped as she crouched down, narrowly avoiding the sharp blade as it sliced through the ends of her hair. _'Great! I'm going to need a haircut when I get back home! Yikes!' _ She slid in between the man's legs to avoid having her head ripped off. _'Here I am, in Sengoku Jidai, playing duck duck goose with an eight foot troll!'_ She dodged another attack from the large drunk man, causing him to stumble into the only exit. The wall crumbled under his weight and collapsed on a man trying to escape. "Hey! Are you okay?' she rushed over and pushed the rubble off of him. "Can you walk?"

"The jewel..." the Boss slurred out.

Kagome soon noticed that he was attacking anything at random that happened to stumble into his sights. Carefully shouldering the injured man's arm, she shuffled over to the exit and groaned when the other bandits quickly ran behind her. "Thanks for nothing!" Rolling her eyes at the sheepish look and laugh they gave her, Kagome screamed when the Boss charged at them once more.

* * *

><p>Kaori pushed another set of bushes out of her way, scanning the area with sharp eyes. She spotted a lone temple in the center of the field and walked over to it. <em>'Thanks for nothing!"<em> The older sister heard the snarky remark that could only be her little sister's voice from inside the building. "Kagome! Is that you?"

"_Kaori! How did you find me? There's some bandits after the jewel!"_

"Never mind that." the elder twin would rather not tell Kagome that she had to rely on the demons' help to locate her. "Can you get out?"

"_No, I can't. The only exit is blocked."_

Kaori bit her thumb in agitation as she pondered on what to do to get her younger sister out of that place. Searching for a sign of exit, she saw that one of the walls were crumbling and an idea sprouted. "Hey, Kagome! Can you get something heavy to charge at this wall?"

'_I'll try."_

"Good." Kaori smiled, "Throw me your half of the Shikon and push the wall out."

"_Right sis!"_

* * *

><p>Kagome nodded at one of the bandits, beckoning him to come over. Once he did, she handed him the injured man, "Here. Take him." Curling her fingers around the chain, Kagome gave it a sharp tug and broke it. Rearing her arm back, the younger twin threw the Shikon out a nearby window with all her strength. <em>'Please find it, Kaori.'<em> Turning stern eyes on the group of thieves, she ordered, "Push out that wall," as she pointed to the desired wall,

"Right!" a handful of bandits nodded. Taking a few steps back, they rammed their shoulders into the wall, causing it to crumble slightly but it still held. They turned a sheepish look at the young woman, "Sorry, Oyabun."

"Oyabun?" Kagome repeated, pointing at herself with confusion in her eyes. She furrowed her brows at the thugs and said, "I'm not your..." she did not get to finish her sentence because the bandits looked up in fear and shouted,

"Look out!"

The younger sister turned around just in time to see the silver glint of the Boss's sword being swung towards her head. Knowing that she did not have enough time to dodge without some sort of fatal wound, Kagome clasped her hands together in prayer and closed her eyes tight, sending her last wishes to her family.

* * *

><p>Kaori crouched down on all fours, parting the tall grass in search of the shard that her sister was supposed to throw out for her. Cursing herself for not telling Kagome just exactly where to throw the jewel, the older twin rose off her knees and rubbed the dirt from the pads of them, grimacing at the small ache that formed in her joints. Her head snapped back to the temple when she heard a loud shout of, "Look out!" and it was not her little sister's voice. <em>'No! Kagome!'<em> A silver and white blur flew passed her and she blinked when it leapt in the air and broke through the roof. "What was that?"

"The fox has gone to help your sister." a low rough, yet oh so, smooth voice said from beside her.

The older twin nearly jumped out of her skin when the imiko's voice sounded so close to her. Placing her hand over her racing heart, Kaori shot him a glare, "Hiei! Don't sneak up on me! You're going to give me a heart..." she trailed off as a bright pink glow on the left side of his chest caught of her attention. "Why is your chest glowing?"

Hiei cursed under his breath as he placed his hand to cover the spot where he hid the jewel half. _'Damn it. She has good eyes.'_

Kaori began tapping her foot impatiently as she arched a single brow. "Well?" she said, "Aren't you going to explain the glow in your chest?"

"It is none of your concern, Onna." he stated coldly, turning from her as he dismissed her from his presence.

An anger mark appeared on her forehead at the dismissal tone he used with her. Balling her hands into tight fists when she saw the hybrid preparing to jump into the treetops to leave her alone in the middle of God knows where, Kaori shouted, "Fuse! You big, stupid jerk! You better wait right there!"

The rosary flashed multiple times as Kaori let out her pent up anger at the demon. Her orders seemed to manifest in the white beads when just as Hiei was about to be slammed into the ground, his body froze. "What the hell? I can't move." he growled low in his chest as he struggled against the subduing powers of the necklace.

Opening her eyes after her rage induced rant, Kaori was surprised to see the imiko still there. _'Strange that he's actually listening to me.' _Slowly she made her way over to the hybrid and circled around until she was facing him. Kaori lifted her hand and said, "I just wanna see what you're hiding." The older sister had a feeling in the back of her head that she's seen this glow before, but she could not remember where.

"Touch me and I will break your wrist." he growled out lowly, his eyes narrowed in challenge.

Kaori dismissed the threat, keeping her eyes on the half moon shaped glow inside his dark cloak. Slipping her fingers inside, a bright blush accented her cheeks when her fingertips brushed against his hard chest, but that did not deter her goal. Once she found the object that she was searching for, Kaori closed her hand over it and began to move away.

A clawed hand grabbed her wrist in a painful grip, the bones creaking under the pressure. "I told you that if you touched me, I would break your wrist." Hiei said darkly in her ear and he twisted the small appendage in his hand, his sharp claws stabbing the delicate flesh. "I don't make empty threats, Onna."

* * *

><p>Kagome waited for the pain that never came, her face still scrunched up in fear. When she finally noticed that she was not dead, the younger girl slowly opened her eyes to see a flowing mane of silver hair, a tail of the matching color swishing in agitation. "Youko?"<p>

The kitsune looked down at her from the corner of his eye as he hissed, "You foolish girl. Honestly, what were you thinking?"

The Boss struggled against the white-clad boy, who was merely fending off his sword with just the palm of his hand. He growled in an animalistic way as he brought his blade back up. "You die!"

Youko smirked as he grabbed the large man's sword in one hand and used his other to strike him in the stomach. The force behind his punch was enough to knock the grey-skinned man off his feet in which he promptly crashed on the floor. "Rethink about your strategy."

Kagome had to stop herself from launching at Youko and tackling him in a hug because she was so elated that he saved her. _'Maybe he's going to be nicer to me!'_ "Youko! You came!" she chirped happily, but his next words made her think about her judgement of the kitsune.

"Where is the Shikon? Is it safe?"

'_And maybe not.'_ the younger twin sighed mentally. Not wanting to tell him that she threw the jewel out of a window with the hopes of her sister finding it, Kagome played dumb. "Shikon? Whatever do you mean?"

Youko hissed between his teeth as he glared at the girl. "You did not just say that!" Something foul leaked out into the air and drifted up to the kitsune's sensitive nose, causing him to stagger back as he covered his nose. "What is that vile scent? It smells of festering meat."

The Boss rose to his feet, the tie holding the breastplate loosed and it fell away from his chest. A small black three-eyed crow burst out of a hole in the left side of his chest. Kagome shrunk back and hid behind Youko as her eyes widened in disgust at the line of bloody sinew that dripped out of the opening. The smell finally hit her full force and she choked down the bile that rose up in her throat.

"That's disgusting." she shrieked, covering her face with her hand. "What is that?"

"It's a Karion Crow." the kitsune informed. "They aren't very strong. This is probably the one that manage to get away from me last night. It must have ripped this man's heart out and made a bloody nest."

Kagome recoiled at the thought of the little black bird-like creature sneaking around and taking the Boss's heart out in the middle of the night. She could not even imagine the pain he went through. "It's controlling him..."

"Yes, it is." The kitsune swept his fingers through his hair, gathering a small handful of seeds. "But they are just a nuisance that needs to be eliminated." Cupping his hand into a loose fist, Youko brought it to his lips and blew. The crow cawed as one of the green kernels flew into its nesting place and before it could sprout, the demon flew out of the Boss's back and out the window.

The younger sister grabbed Youko's arm. "Why aren't you going after it?"

Youko spared her a glance, taking his arm out of her grasp. "There are many youkai roaming around. Do you want me to kill them all?"

Kagome bowed her head in shame as she let the kitsune pick her up. "No..." she sucked in a quick breath when Youko suddenly leapt up in the air and out the hole in the roof he created when he saved her from death. She let out a sigh of relief when her feet touched solid ground when they were outside once more.

"Glad that you understand." he said as he scanned the area for the jewel fragment. "Now to find the jewel." Youko turned his head up at the sky when he heard the cry of the crow demon and growled in outrage at what he saw. Rounding on Kagome, he hissed, "You let the crow get your fragment?!"

"What?" she looked up in the sky and saw her shard clutched in between the Karion Crow's beak. "No. I didn't let it." she defended herself. Kagome will never tell him that she threw it outside for all to get their hands on.

The kitsune snarled low in his throat as he reached out and grabbed Kagome's wrist tightly and pulled her along the path. "Come on."

Kagome winced at the sharp sting of Youko's claws pinching her. "Hey, loosen up the grip. You're hurting me!"

* * *

><p>Hiei pulled Kaori closer to him, whispering darkly in her ear. "You know, Onna, I should kill you for all the times you've humiliated me." he tightened his grip on her tiny wrist and angled his sharpened nails to pierce the soft flesh there.<p>

"Let..let me go!" she demanded, trying to pull her hand back, but that only caused his claws to stab her skin.

The imiko added more pressure to her wrist, his claws pierced the flesh there and her blood dripping down and stained the grass red. "I don't think I will." Hiei twisted her arm in an awkward position, nearly breaking the bone. Kaori's scream echoed through the sky as the pain settled in her brain, shocks of agony running up and down her body.

There was a flash of bright violet light as the hybrid was thrown away from the older twin. Hiei blinked away the black spots that clouded his vision when he collided with a nearby tree and rubbed the back of his head. "How the hell..." his crimson eyes widened as bit as he took in the sight before him.

Kaori peeked her eye open when the immense pain in her wrist went down some. She felt blood trickle down her arm and she quickly placed pressure around the bleeding wounds. Raising her head to glare at the imiko, a gasp left her lips. Surrounding her was a translucent violet barrier, still shimmering slightly. "What is this?" Feeling a slight weight in her injured hand, Kaori opened her fingers to find half of the Shikon. "Hey!" she yelled, "You tried to steal my shard!"

"You do not need it. Give it to me." Hiei demanded, his voice was cold as his eyes.

"No way! It can from my body, so it belongs to me!" she replied back as she stuck her tongue out at her childishly.

Growling low in his chest, Hiei jumped to his feet, katana drawn, and lunged at the young woman only to repelled backwards by the barrier. The imiko stood back up, his almond-shaped eyes narrowed into a scrutinizing gaze as he calmly walked towards the barrier once more. Lifting his right fist, Hiei tapped the bubble lightly, smirking at how it seemed to waiver under his touch. It was a weak force-field.

Kaori watched in horror as black flames surrounded Hiei's fist and cringed as he pulled it back and let it fly. A scream was ripped from her as her barrier shatter into little glittering slivers around her. Peeking her eyes open, the older twin found the hybrid smirking in a sinister way. One that sent shivers down her spine and made her wrist throb painfully.

Hiei took an intimidating step forward, a pale eye-shaped glow lighting up from behind his bandana. "Well. Well. Well. Looks like your barrier is gone." he taunted as he continued to move forward.

The older sister cradled her injured arm close to her chest as she took a few steps back, trying to set some distance between her and the imiko. "Don't come any nearer!" her voice sounded choked with fear.

"What can you do?" he questioned, slowly mapping his way over to her, a small evil grin appearing on his face when the girl backed herself up against a tree. "Your barrier is gone. You have nothing left."

Kaori looked around for something, anything that she could do to stop the dark-haired youkai from advancing on her. Her eyes darted around until they settled on the white rosary that almost blended with his scarf, and a smirk found its way to her lips. "Oh really? I have nothing left."

Hiei followed her gaze and scowled, "Don't you dare."

"Try me." she challenged. Before Kaori could even blink, the hybrid was standing directly in front of her. so close that she could literally feel the heat off his body and her heart pounded in her chest. Putting on a brave face, the older twin lifted her chin defiantly, "You don't scare me."

The imiko arched a brow, "Really now." he lifted his hand and slammed it against the trunk of the tree, mere centimeters from Kaori's head. Hiei enjoyed the way she flinched away from him in fear and he trapped her head between both arms when she tried to escape.

Kaori looked up at him with anger mixed with fear in her greyish-blue eyes. "Let me go!"

"I thought you wasn't afraid of me?" he taunted, the scent of her blood and fear edging him on with his torments. She made it so easy for him to get under her skin and keep her from saying the incantation that would have him meeting the ground a bit painfully.

"Shut up and back away from me!" she cried, using her good arm to try and push him away from her.

Hiei grabbed her wrist and trapped it against his chest. Leaning in close enough for her to feel his hot breath on her ear, he hissed, "You will give me the jewel shard back now." he ignored her struggles and curses as she demanded to be released. The hybrid figured that soon she would run out of energy and he would take the fragment from her and leave her to die in these woods.

A small, barely noticeable cracking sound reached his sensitive ears as they both froze. Kaori noticed that her hand was glowing faintly and she slowly opened her fingers, pain traveling up and down her arm from her hurt wrist. She gasped at what she saw; the half of the Shikon no Tama that came out of her body had several spiderweb thin cracks running through it.

"What's going on?" Kaori said dumbfoundedly as the jewel floated out of her palm. "The Shikon is beginning to break." Together the imiko and the older twin watched at the jewel fragment flashed a bright pink-white before flying off in many shards.

Hiei cursed softly as he opened his mental link with the kitsune. _Fox! What has happened? The jewel has shattered._

* * *

><p>Whoo! It's been two years and five days since I first wrote this fic. I cringed at my noob writings and decided that this fic needed some tuning up! Hopes you like it!<p>

Review!

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	4. Chapter 3

So glad that you think my new and improved chapters are great! I really do want to keep a consistent flow with my chapters, especially now that I'm a better writer than I was back in '11.

Disclaimer: (See first chapter)

* * *

><p>One Jewel, Two Souls<p>

* * *

><p>Recap:<p>

_Hiei grabbed her wrist and trapped it against his chest. Leaning in close enough for her to feel his hot breath on her ear, he hissed, "You will give me the jewel shard back now." he ignored her struggles and curses as she demanded to be released. The hybrid figured that soon she would run out of energy and he would take the fragment from her and leave her to die in these woods._

_A small, barely noticeable cracking sound reached his sensitive ears as they both froze. Kaori noticed that her hand was glowing faintly and she slowly opened her fingers, pain traveling up and down her arm from her hurt wrist. She gasped at what she saw; the half of the Shikon no Tama that came out of her body had several spiderweb thin cracks running through it._

"_What's going on?" Kaori said dumbfoundedly as the jewel floated out of her palm. "The Shikon is beginning to break." Together the imiko and the older twin watched at the jewel fragment flashed a bright pink-white before flying off in many shards._

_Hiei cursed softly as he opened his mental link with the kitsune. Fox! What has happened? The jewel has shattered._

* * *

><p>Youko had pretty much ignored the young woman's request for him to loosen his grip on her delicate wrist as he followed the scent of the Karion Crow. The only thing on his mind was getting the jewel back because no one snatches away a treasure that he set his sights on. Growling low in his chest when the crow demon flew higher in the sky. His ears twitched and the sound of an animal grazing reached him. The kitsune yanked Kagome over to the source of the noise and found a lone horse with a bow and a quiver of arrows.<p>

An idea formed as Youko grabbed the weapons, handed them to the teen, and pulled her on his back. Quickly, he found the crow's scent and was back on its trail, running through the treetops. "Shoot. It is flying out of my range."

Kagome held the bow in shaking fingers as she looked questioningly down at the boy carrying her. Was he serious? The young woman has never held a bow in the life except for now. She pointed at herself as she said, "Shoot? You're joking, right?" she recoiled at the calm serious look he shot her as he nodded his head. "I've never shot a bow in my life! Although Kaori says that I should take up Kyudo." Kagome mumbled out the last part, looking down at the curved weapon in her hands.

"You can and you will." the kitsune said sternly as he leapt up in the air, soaring through the sky momentarily before landing on his feet. "Kikyou was a master archer in her life."

The raven-haired girl felt a vein throbbing on her temple as she fought the urge to pinch those fuzzy ears of his. "My name is Kagome, not Kikyou, dammit!" she shouted at him as she pulled and arrow from the quiver in her lap. _'Still...Kikyou-sama, I ask you to give me strength.'_ Notching an arrow in its proper place, Kagome pulled the bowstring taunt. Extended her pointer finger, she took careful aim and released the arrow, watching it fly towards the crow. A happy smile spread over her lips when it looked like it was going to hit the bird, but it fell short. "What?" Kagome questioned when Youko stumbled slightly. "I thought you said she was a master archer!"

Youko glared up at the girl on his back as he picked up speed again. "She was. You are the one who cannot shoot." he sighed, the sound sounding like an irritated growl. "Try again and don't let it swallow the jewel." By the time those words reached Kagome's ears, the Karion Crow swallowed the jewel shard.

"Uhm...Youko?" the younger twin said hesitantly. "It already swallowed it."

"Damn it." he cursed lowly under his breath. Looking up into the sky, Youko sensed a spike in the crow's youki and knew what was about to happen. "Its demonic powers are swelling. Shoot it down when it grows larger."

Kagome nodded her head as she saw the youkai grow twice its normal size, roughly the size of a large dog. The younger girl felt slightly more confident. "I'll try." she said as she pulled another arrow out of the quiver. _'Since my target is bigger, I should be able to hit!'_ Notching the arrow in place and pulling the string taut, Kagome aimed for the large crow youkai and let it fly. Just as it was about to strike the demon, it stopped and fell downwind.

Youko stopped mid-stride and jumped down from the tree he was perched in. Growling softly, he slid his hands off her thighs and dropped Kagome unceremoniously. "Okay, enough." He smirked inwardly at the cry of pain she gave as she rubbed her bruising backside. "I do not care what that babaa said. You cannot be Kikyou. I am leaving." He crouched down low before springing up in the air, vanishing into the trees.

"Ah!" the younger sister cried as she stretched her hand out. "Youko! Wait!" Huffing, Kagome blew her bangs out of her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Stupid Fox!" Looking around for anything familiar, she saw that she was fairly close to the village and made her way through the forest

* * *

><p>The Karion Crow scanned the land below for something to suit its hunger. Now that it possessed the jewel it needed to feed so that it could absorb the shard completely before going after the other half. Looking down, it found its meal; a young child that looked ripe for the picking. Swooping down, the crow demon grabbed the boy by the collar of his kimono and carried him in the sky.<p>

"Kiko!" the boy's mother cried as she screamed for help.

Youko scowled lightly as he witnessed the scene. "Disgusting creature. Trying to eat that child so you can absorb the jewel quickly." He flexed his hand, decideing to forego his Rose Whip. It's been quite some time since he's killed anything with only his claws; and that crow youkai was just a low-level demon.

Kagome pushed out of the foliage and smiled when she found herself back at the village but, frowned when she saw the Karion Crow flying off with a child. A feeling of dread slithered down her spine as the young woman glanced over at the cliff above the river and spotted Youko with his claws extended; Kagome ran over to the bridge. "Youko! Don't! You'll hurt the child!"

The kitsune spared her a glance out of the corner of his eye before leaping into the air above the crow. "Be silent!" His claws tore through the body of the demon easily and Youko relished in the feeling of blood slipping through his fingers. Bleeding chunks of the crow youkai fell into the river below, the churching wave quickly turning a frothy pink. The little boy fell into the waters as well, the current pulling him downstream.

"Oh no." Kagome gasped. She reached down and yanked off her shoes before climbing on the edge of the bridge, leaping off it and into the cold river. Kicking her legs in a steady pace, she glided through the water towards the child. "I'm so glad that Mama made me take lessons."

A village man looked on with his jaw dropped. "How is she able to do that? She's slicing through the water with her arms."

An elderly man began jumping up and down as he pointed at Kagome. "She's an imp!" he shouted loudly. "A water imp, I tell you!"

Kagome reached for the little boy and wrapped her arms around him, cooing, "It's okay. I've got you." Turning around, the young woman heading back for shore, a bit more slowly since she was only able to use one arm. All the way, she shushed the child's soft cries as he clung to her shirt.

"It's on its back now!" the same man cheered as tears of admiration flowed down his withered cheeks. "Oh, what a day! What a girl! What an imp!"

The younger sister rolled her eyes at the old man, mumbling. "And they say teenage girls get riled up." Keeping a steady rhythm, Kagome soon reached the bank and she lifted the boy out of the water before climbing out herself. She smiled when the mother of the child ran over and hugged him tightly while thanking Buddha. The raven-haired girl bowed slightly when the little boy and his mother bowed and thanked her. "I'm just happy that he's okay." she smiled gently at him.

"The jewel!" a familiar voice called out to her. "Have you forgotten your main objective?" Kagome looked over at the river side and found Youko pointing at the body of water in a demanding way. Seeing as that she had already took a dip in the cold water and he was perfectly dry, she turned away from him with her chin raised defiantly. The kitsune glared at her back as his blood boiled at her act of dominance and screamed for him to make her submit to his will.

Unbeknown to the party above, deep in the river, close to the bottom, pieces of the fallen demon was rejoining to the main chunk, the heart. With a mighty cry, the Karion Crow burst from the water and took to the skies. The villages screamed in alarm as they pointing to the flying youkai and Kagome merely shrugged her shoulders. So, the crow got lucky.

She turned around at the sound of the young boy's cries of terror and saw something yanking at the back of his kimono. Grabbing the child by the shoulders, Kagome found the Karion Crow's foot still clinging onto his collar and was attempting to go back to the demon's body. Ripping the taloned appendage from the boy's kimono, she looked around for a means of destroying it. Her eyes fell on a man holding a bow and a quiver of arrows; an idea formed in her head.

Kagome held on to the foot tightly, feeling it jerk around in her hand as she asked the village man if she could borrow his bow and an arrow. Smiling when he gave her the desired items, the younger twin took the hem of her shirt and bit it, ripping a long piece of cloth off. Using the strip to tie the foot to the shaft of the arrow before notching it in place on the bow and pulling the string taut.

Above the river on the cliff face, Youko narrowed his eyes at the girl, snorting at her stance. "Like she will really be able to hit it." he crossed his arms over his chest as his silver tail swishing in agitation. His blood still had not cooled from her act of defiance and it pissed him off that she did not listen to him.

The young woman slanted her eyes at her target as she pulled the bowstring back even further, wincing when it dug into her hand slightly. _'The foot can't help but to be drawn by the power of the jewel.'_ Keeping the string tight, Kagome extended her index finger. _'It will hit!' _ "Go!" Kagome released the arrow with a low 'twang' and watched it soar through the sky towards the Karion Crow.

"I see." the kitsune hummed as his eyes locked onto the arrow Kagome launched. "She's shooting the foot." Bringing his hand to his face, Youko rubbed his chin. _'Perhaps she is not as foolish as I first.' _ he watched carefully as the arrow struck the crow demon, blinking curiously.

The youkai gave a loud squawk as the arrow pierced its body, a pale pink light erupting from inside of it and purified it from the inside. The foot tied to the arrow did not know that the body was gone and was eternally drawn to the Shikon no Tama until the metal arrowhead stabbed the jewel shard. Bright pinkish white lights began to soar through the sky, blinding all the stared at them for too long.

Youko covered his eyes with his hand, staring in amazement that the girl actually managed to hit the demon with her arrow. "She really hit it." he growled low in his chest as the light in the sky blinded him momentarily. "What are these streaks of light?"

The pinkish white lights lit up the sky with their glow as they went out in different direction. Some of the streaks soared over the village where Ren stood and she narrowed her eye. A villageman commented on the streaks in the sky and the old miko looked at him briefly. "Aye, but I like not the looks of it."

* * *

><p>Kagome scanned her surrounding, looking for signs of her missing jewel shard. She sighed when Youko asked for the umpteenth time if she was sure if it fell here. Rolling her eyes, the young woman felt a tingle in the back of her head and she shushed the kitsune with her hand. "I've got this feeling. My shard is close." a loud cawing sound made Kagome raise her head in surprise and she screamed when the disembodied head of the crow snapped his beak at her.<p>

Youko sighed as she grabbed her by the arm and pulled her behind him. Raising his left hand, he racked his claws down the demon's head, ripping it apart. A tiny, glowing sliver tinkled as it hit the ground, catching the attention of the two. Kagome pushed the fox aside and crouched down on the balls of her feet and picked up the little shard.

Dread made her blood run cold as she felt a connection to the little pink sliver held between her fingers. "I hope this is not what I think it is."

"And what, exactly, do you think it is?" the silver-haired demon inquired, peering over her shoulder.

Kagome looked at Youko and gave a nervous laugh. "Uhm...a piece of my jewel shard?

A snarl formed in the silver kitsune's throat as his eyes flashed venomously. Stalking over to the crouching female, his voice a guttural hiss, Youko said, "What did you say, girl?!" before he could invoke his rage on the dark-haired girl, a small jolt of electricity went through his brain and the voice of his partner-in-crime rang throughout his mind.

_Fox, what has happened? The jewel has shattered._ The imiko sounded irritated.

Youko took in a deep breath to calm down before slicing his eyes over to Kagome, who jumped in response to being frightened by him. _That is because it was broken by the girl with me. Return to the village and I will give you the details._

_Hn._

Sparing the female one last glance behind him, Youko snorted, "Let's go," and leapt into the trees, quickly leaving Kagome on the forest floor by herself. Before he could get too far, the rosary around his neck flashed a brilliant blue color and he was forced backwards from the tree branch and onto the hard ground below.

The younger twin finally broke from her fear induced daze, blinking in confusion and her brain registered that the fox demon had left her alone in the forest. Furrowing her brow, Kagome let out an enraged cry, shouting out the incantation, "Tsuke!" she rose to her feet and stomped over to the fallen youkai, glaring at him with stormy blue eyes. "You jerk! You're not leaving me here!"

* * *

><p>Hiei chuckled softly when he felt the kitsune being slammed into the ground before closing off the mental link. Remembering that he still had the older twin's wrist held captive, he threw it away from him with a sharp glare. With his voice a cold hiss, the imiko said, "I'll deal with you later." he turned his back on Kaori and prepared to run back to the village.<p>

Kaori's eyes were ablaze with anger as she applied pressure to her injured wrist. Letting out a convincing growl, the older sister shouted, "Wait, you egotistical jerk! Stay right where you are! Fuse!"

Once again for the second time that day, just as Hiei's body was about to strike the forest floor his body stiffened as if he was obeying the older girl's order for him to wait. The imiko growled low in his chest when he caught sight of the slowly fading glow of the white beads partially hidden by his scarf. "Damn it." he struggled to move any part of his body, but he could not.

'_He's listening to me again?'_ Kaori lifted a confused brow as she walked over to the apparition. She saw the snarl on his face and shrunk back some before regaining her confidence. "Calm down. I just want to talk." she said softly, watching his scowl let up a bit, but hatred still burned in his carmine eyes. Kaori sighed. "Look, I know that you don't like me or want anything to do with me because I am supposedly Kaede's..." she paused at his sharp glare and quickly changed her sentence, " I mean her reincarnation. But I want to try to get along with you." Kaori locked her sincere grey-blue eyes with Hiei's hardened ruby orbs, "Please try to consider it."

The imiko watched the young woman walked away from him and into the forest and his eyes softened as he gazed at her back. _'She's almost exactly like Kaede.'_ He shook his head as he tossed those thoughts out of his mind before Youko tried to contact him and find them. A little smirk tilted at his lips. _'No, but she is strong willed.'_

Kaori pushed another low-hanging tree limb out of her way as she struggled to make her way back to the village. She took in a sharp breath when she was suddenly swept off her feet and into someone's arms. The older twin panicked, lashing out wildly and striking her captor. "Let me go! I don't have the jewel shard!"

"Onna, stop your struggles." Hiei's voice murmured next to her ear.

"Hiei!" Kaori gasped as she opened her eyes and looked up at the imiko before frowning. "I told you not to sneak up on me! Are you trying to scare me to death?!"

The dark-haired demon spared her a glance and said in a, surprisingly, gentle tone. "Be silent."

The older twin blinked in confusion at the way the imiko spoke to her. She's never once heard him speak in such a soft, almost charming, voice. _'Okay...this is weird.'_ Kaori muttered out his name once more in a questioning tone, frowning when he ignored her. She crossed her arms over her chest as Hiei expertly made his way back to the village.

* * *

><p>Youko grabbed Kagome by the shoulders, staring angrily in her wide frightened eyes. "How?" he growled lowly. "How did you manage to shatter the jewel?" Shooting an angry look at Kaori when she snatched her sister out of his hold, the kitsune bared his fangs. He was beyond pissed that the treasure that he'd wanted was even further from his grasp than it was before. Why did this have to happen? If it were not for the incompetence of that girl the Shikon no Tama would be in his hands.<p>

"Stop yipping, Kurama." Ren said firmly as her deep brown eye narrowed at the kitsune. "It was not Kagome nor Kaori's fault, but the foot that Kagome tied to her arrow that broke the Shikon."

Hiei grabbed his partner-in-crime back by the back of his tunic and gave him a stern glare. He did not want to risk those girls saying that hated incantation on them because of the kitsune's attitude towards losing a heist. "How did it manage to do that, Babaa?"

Ren set her sight on the imiko. "It matters not how." she walked over to the twins and placed her hands on their shoulders. "All that matters in that the jewel is now shattered in many fragments. It could be hundreds or thousands." she tightened her fingers over the girls' shoulders. "But we must obtain them before those who would abuse them."

The imiko smirked and sent a quick mental message to Youko, who in return chuckled out loud and said, "Have you forgotten that we are some of the badasses after the Shikon?"

The old priestess sighed and shook her head sadly. "Aye. I am well aware of that, but ye four must work together."

Kagome and Kaori exchanged distressed looks as they simultaneously thought, _'But we want to go home!'_

* * *

><p>The sun beamed down on the small open lake in the clearing a few kilometers from the village. Ren was sitting next to a fire, poking the embers with a small twig and a splashing sound caught her attention. Looking over at the lake, she spotted the two girls shivering in the middle of the water, complaining about the temperature of the liquid.<p>

"How can they not know what a bath is?!" Kagome exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around her body as a violent shiver shook her body. She glanced over at her sister and saw that she, too, was shivering and they both dunked back into the water to keep their shivering to a minimum.

Ren chuckled and lifted her hand to her mouth. "Come out before ye catch a cold!"

Kaori shot the elderly woman a half-hearted glare. "No way!"

"We're covered in blood and grime!" Kagome continued.

Together the twins said in unison, "And my hair feels like it hasn't been washed in weeks!"

The old miko shrugged her shoulder and went back to rekindling the fire, keeping it hot enough for it to dry their strange clothing. Unbeknown to the three women, sitting above the lake on a cliff in two different trees were the two youkai.

Youko was perched on a branch that hung over the cliff and gave him the perfect view of the bathing females. His kitsune nature was on high alert as he watched them break through the surface of the lake, the sun making the water droplets on their skin shimmer and when they shivered their breasts bounced, oh so, slightly. A perverse smirk nestled in his lips as he continued to peek at the twins.

Hiei sat on an opposite tree from the fox, his jaw clenched in irritation as his leg bounced up and down. Finally having enough, the apparition bit out, "Fox! Do you mind?"

The kitsune slowly turned away from his free show with a small frown. "Mind what?"

"Your thoughts are disturbing." the dark-haired demon said bluntly, his eyes narrowed in a glare.

Youko simply smiled. "Then stay out of my head."

Hiei slanted his almond-shaped eyes even further at the fox demon as his hand came to rest on the hilt of his katana. "Believe me. I've tried. You're purposely broadcasting them to me." he growled low in his chest when another image floated to him through their mental link. "Dammit, Youko! If you are going to imagine them in such a way, leave me out of it!" his fingers wrapped around the gleaming hilt threatening. He knew that the kitsune would bed anyone, be it male or female, but Hiei strictly bedded females. He was not interested in males.

The fox youkai ignored the threatening manner the imiko gave and went back to gazing at the girls below. His eyes widen a fraction of an inch at what he saw and a sly smirk formed on his lips as an idea formed. Turning back to the apparition, who had his eyes closed in agitation, and shouted, "Hiei! Mukuro!"

The forbidden child's reaction was instantaneous. He sprung from his tree over to the spirit kitsune, with his sword drawn, a scowl marring his handsome face, and a fierce look in his eyes. "Where is that bi-" he stopped his sentence as his katana slipped from his hands in mild shock as his carmine eyes widened at what he saw below.

* * *

><p>Kaori, having grown tired of swimming in the cold lake water, swam over to bank of the lake and called out to her sister. "Oi! Kagome, I'm getting out!"<p>

"Okay! Wait for me!" Kagome said back as she began to swim over. A sneaky idea formed in her head when she saw her elder sister lean back on the bank to sunbathe and she dipped her head under the water and proceeded to move closer to her unsuspecting twin.

The older sister waited for Kagome at the bank just soaking up the sun's warm rays. She considered herself the tanner of the two since she liked to practice her Kendo outside. But in reality she and Kagome had the same porcelain skin tone. _'Heh. This isn't too bad. This sun feels great! And the air is so clean!'_ Suddenly all warmth left her body when cold water washed over her, drenching her completely since she had dried off with the sun. Sputtering out the liquid that entered her mouth, Kaori wiped her wet hair out of her eyes and found a giggling Kagome. "Ooh, you're so going to get it now!" she ran over to where her sister was and splashed her back.

This carried on for a few minutes until Kaori lunged at Kagome, tackling her into the water and pinned her to the bank. She grinned like a madwoman and stuck her tongue out at her little sister playfully. "Give up! You shall never defeat Higurashi Kaori, the champion of splash wars!"

Kagome laughed as she squirmed in her sister's hold. "Okay. Okay. I give. Get off me."

Kaori grinned in triumph as she rolled off Kagome. She then hopped to her feet and offered her hand to the younger girl. Kagome accepted her sister's help and rose to her feet and together they started to wade back to shore. But they soon got the feeling of being watched. Looking around for any signs of the peeping tom, they glanced up over at the cliff. Screaming in embarrassment, the twins ducked down in the water to cover themselves.

"Tsuke!"

"Fuse!"

* * *

><p>No matter how hard Hiei tried, he could not stray his gaze from the two girls below, mainly on the older twin, Kaori. Her pale skin was glistening from the sun beaming down and reflecting off the water on her body; her long midnight-colored hair clung to her back and shoulders in a seductive way; her generous breasts bounced slightly when she laughed; her flat toned stomach quivered as she walked back to the shore; and finally her wide hips and long shapely legs were in his view. Everything reminded him all of one person.<p>

'_Kaede...'_

Youko placed his hand on the imiko's shoulder, hearing the name that drifted through Hiei's head from their mental link. "She does resemble Kaede."

Upon hearing the name that he'd forced himself to hate, his eyes hardened and he shrugged the kitsune's hand off and bent to grab his sword and sheathed it. "She does not."

A shrill feminine scream set them on high alert as they rushed back over to the edge of the cliff. Bad idea. The rosaries around their necks began to glow as the girls uttered the incantation and they were yanked off the cliff face to the hard rock covered ground below. They groaned in pain as the stones dug into their faces, leaving small cuts and bruises behind.

"What the hell, Onna?" Hiei growled, brushing off the small pebbles that were on his cloak.

Youko pulled at the black beads, the blue glow slowly fading away, with a low growl. "I forgot about this damned thing."

The twins quickly ran behind a large boulder and began dressing in the clothes Ren provided for them. Kagome had just slipped on the top when she poked her head out from behind the rock. "That's what you get for peeking at us, you hentai!"

The kitsune raised his chin hauntingly as he glanced over at the younger sister out the corner of a golden eye. A perverse smirk found its way to his lips as he said, "I will not deny about looking, but your feeble and undeveloped body did not keep me interested."

A bright red blush rose in Kagome's cheeks as her eyes flashed angrily. "Why you dirty bast-"

"They came to steal this, I presume." Ren cut Kagome off and held up the small sliver of the Shikon no Tama that she had hidden in the folds of her haori.

Hiei stood to his feet and walked over to a different boulder and leaned back against it, his foot hitched up on it. "Very deceptive of you, Babaa."

The old miko sighed heavily as she tucked the jewel shard into a small pouch and placed it in her lap. "The future is looking very bleak." she stabbed at the fire with the small stick. "Kurama, Jaganshi, unless you join with Kagome and Kaori, whom have that ability to "see" the Shikon, then there is no way all the fragments will be found."

"I understand that, Babaa." he looked over at Youko, "We will put up with the foolish onna." the imiko stated coolly.

Kaori was the first to emerge from behind the boulder, dressed in a white haori and flowing red hakama. She had her hair tied in a low ponytail with her bangs swept out of her face because she noticed they needed to be trimmed. The older twin pointed a glare at Youko. "You really seem to hate my sister, don't you?

"That is an understate-" he trailed off as Kagome emerged from behind the boulder.

The younger twin was wearing the exact outfit as Kaori, white haori that had loose billowing sleeves and red hakama that was held up by a red obi. She had her hair tied back in a low ponytail also, but left her bangs out to frame her face as two thick tendril of hair fell over her shoulders. "I don't see why he despises me. I've done nothing to him."

Youko was stunned as he continued to gaze at the young girl and the wind picked up and wafted her scent towards him. All he could think of was one name. _'Kikyou...'_

Hiei smirked as he sent a metal message to the kitsune. _Hn. I heard that, fox._

_Urusee na, chibi (Shut the hell up, runt)! Take a closer look at your onna. Doesn't she resemble someone? _he taunted, Oh, how Youko knew to press the right buttons for Hiei to glare at him murderously.

_She's not my onna!_

With their negative moods causing a dark cloud of energy to swirl over the two demons, they directed hate-filled glares at twins, who were simply shaking excess water from their clothing before hanging them over a nearby fire. Ren noticed the soft growls that were emitting from the youkai and questioned upon it, but was ignored as they continued to glare at the girls. Slowly moving back with every passing second, they locked eyes with the females as the girls returned the glare, still heated from being peeked at.

* * *

><p>Miles away from where the small lake inside a dark cavern, a woman with chin length dark green hair emerged from a pile of skulls and stretched her arms above her head. "Ararara..." she clicked tiredly. "The Shikon no Tama that has been gone for nearly fifty years has finally resurfaced. This is going to be interesting." She turned to look at an extremely tall male with flowing black hair, "Won't it, Nii-sama."<p>

The man crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes smiling. "I suppose so, Imouto."

Picking up a random skull close to her, she began to giggled as she stroked a red comb through the object's hair until it was silky and free of tangles.

* * *

><p>Soon a village woman with a baby strapped to her back came walking over to the small clearing where the twins were. She bowed before them politely before addressing the elderly miko, "Ano, Ren-sama." she smiled uneasily when the old woman quickly hopped to her feet. The woman relayed her worries about her daughter who suddenly fell ill and was currently resting at home. But nothing she did could wake the child from her slumber.<p>

Ren raised her hand, stopping the woman's recitement. "Say no more." she walked over to Kagome and dropped the pouch holding the jewel shard into her cupped hands. In a stern voice, Ren ordered, "Do not fight." she directed as firm look to the two youkai brooding in a corner, sighing when the smaller one grunted and jumped into a nearby tree. She turned on her heel and started back for the village.

The woman smiled at the twins and bowed once more before following after Ren.

There was an uneasy silence between the twins and the two demons as the wind fluttered around them, carrying the scent of the burning fire around them. Kagome tilted her head back and basked in the sun, taking a moment to appreciate the calm and serenity of the world around her. It was so clean and pure compared to Tokyo and she almost felt like she belonged here. It was not until the voice of the kitsune drifted through the air did Kagome snap her eyes over in his direction.

"Oi."

"What do you what?" she snapped, still peeved at him for peeking at her and her sister while they were bathing.

Youko narrowed his eyes at the way she looked and spoke to him. "Remove your clothes."

Hiei fell out of the tree he was perched on when a loud cracking sound vibrated through his sensitive ears and the faint scent of the kitsune's blood reached his nose. Reaching for his katana, under the impression that they're been attacked, he gained a confused look when she saw that Youko was now sporting a large, bleeding bump on the crown of his head. The imiko then shifted questioning eyes at the two females.

"Hentai!" Kagome scowled at the kitsune, holding a large stone that had small traces of blood on it.

Kaori caught his look and shook her head before glaring a 'Don't ask' look at the apparition.

Youko whined as he held his batter and abused skull tenderly - she had struck him directly between the ears, a very sensitive spot. Growling low in his chest, he glared at the rock still clutched in the younger girl's hands. "You feral wench! If I wanted to fuck you, I could already have you naked begging for me to take you!" his untamed anger had broke free as his eyes flashed venomously and his instincts howled from him to make this female submit to him. "What I want is for you to change back into your strange clothing!" he pointed an angry finger at the sailor fuku drying near the riverbank.

"Why?" Kaori snapped, glaring at Youko for using such vulgar language towards her younger sister. "Is it because these clothes makes us look like Kikyou and Kaede!" Anticipating the blade at her throat, the older twin quickly said the incantation to subdue Hiei before he even reached her with his katana. Upon hearing the imiko crash to the ground, Kaori continued to glare at the kitsune.

The silver fox demon scoffed and looked away indignantly. "You wished. As I said before: They were much more intelligent looking and very beautiful." he lifted his nose in the air and crossed his arms over his chest.

'_He's worse than Souta.'_ Kagome sighed and lifted her hand. "Look, we can't work with you two if you're always going to pick a fight with us."

Hiei appeared beside his partner-in-crime, arms folded and eyes narrowed into a glare. "Fine by me. I prefer to be alone anyway."

Kaori narrowed her eyes into a small glare as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, I see. So you don't need us." she grabbed her little sister's hand. "Kagome." Together they walked behind Youko to gather their uniforms, folding the material over their arms.

Youko's ears twitched once, swiveling around in the direction of the twins. "Where do you think you are going?" he asked, eyeing them warily.

Kagome placed her damp clothes over her left arm and brought it to her chest. "We're going home."

"Sayonara, Youkai-san." Kaori said over her shoulder as she and her twin began to walk away from the clearing, back down the path to the village.

"You..." the kitsune managed to say as he leapt to his feet.

The younger sister did not even spare the fox a glance as she replied, "My name is not "You". It is Kagome, please call me by my given name."

Hiei held his hand out as if that would keep the girls from walking away from them. "Onna, wait."

Kaori shook her head softly as she called back, "It's Kaori. Not onna."

"I said for you to wait!" he growled.

The girls turned around, eyes blazing with an angry fire as they snapped, "Why? It's useless to try and stop us."

Hiei appeared next to them with his hand held out. "The Shikon shard. Leave it."

Kagome reached inside her haori, pulling out the little burgundy pouch that housed the fragment and in an innocent voice said, "You mean this?"

The imiko nodded.

"Kaori?" the younger twin looked at her sister, who nodded at her.

"Fuse."

"Tsuke."

The rosaries around the demons' necks flashed brightly before forcing them to kneel, face buried in the gravel. Growling lowly, they snapped their heads up, "Why you!"

Kagome twirled the string of the pouch around her finger as she linked arms with Kaori and together they walked off. "If you can't call us by our names, then you cannot have it." _'The nerve of those youkai, never once addressed us by our names!'_

* * *

><p>The village woman lead Ren to her home near the edge of Edo, a small shack that only had one room. In the center of the hut was a young girl of about thirteen laying on a mat, the only signs of her still being alive was the steady rise and fall of her chest. "This is how I left her, Ren-sama."<p>

Ren walked inside the house, her eyes trained on the young girl. "Ye say that she just suddenly collapsed."

The girl's mother nodded and covered her mouth with her hand as she looked away, her voice sounded choked with tears, "Yes, but she was just fine this morning."

"I see." The elderly priestess took a step towards the child, moving closer until a strange noise reached her ears causing her eyes to widen and for her to jump back with her arm blocking the woman's entrance. "Stay back!" she ignore the frightened cry of the other lady as she kept her eyes on the girl.

Suddenly the young girl flew up from the mat and floated with her back showing to the two women.. Slowly, she turned around, revealing that she was still unconscious, with her arms stretched out and head drooped to her chest. The old miko narrowed her eyes when something glinted in the sunlight and gasped when she saw that it was hair coiling around the girl's wrists and fingers. A cleaver began to tremble on the floor and flew past the women into the girl's hand. She raised the blade high, lunging forward and attacked.

* * *

><p>Kaori shoved a shrub out of her way and stepped into a clearing that felt familiar to her. Looking around, she spotted an old dried up well in the center of the field. "Ne! Kagome, isn't that the well." she looked back and giggled when she saw her younger sister fighting with the shrub that Kaori has pushed out of her way.<p>

Kagome finally broke the branch that was blocking her way and threw it over her shoulder with a huff. "Stupid bush." she crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at it childishly. Turning around when Kaori tapped her on the shoulder, a wide smile lit up her face. "The well!" she ran past her sister over to the well and peered inside; a gasp left her lips at what she saw inside. "Bones..."

As Kaori moved to be next to her sister, Ren's wise old voice resounded through their heads. _ That well is called the Bones Eater's Well. Corpses of youkai are discarded there and after a few days, the bodies are gone._

The older sister examined the size of most of the skeletons. "Those must be Mistress Centipede's bones."

Kagome bemoaned, "Great! Now, I'm too terrified to go down there!"

Sinking to the ground and leaning their backs against the side of the well the twins groaned out, "Now what?" They raised their faces to the sky, covering their eyes to block the sun's bright rays and something glimmered in the light. A green leaf flutter through the air until it was sliced neatly in two. That caught their attention as they quickly hopped to their feet, wincing when something cut a thin line across their cheeks. Blood welled in the small wound and the twins covered it with their right hand, "Ow."

Kaori squinted her eyes at the glittering threads that weaved all around them. "Is that...hair?"

"Ararara." A soft feminine voice clicked. "You have very good eyes to be able to see my net of hair."

Gazing up above them, the girls spotted and young woman with short, dark green hair which she had tied up fan-like in a bob style and reddish-violet eyes standing on the webs of hair. She wore traditional kunoichi garb. Her ninja tunic was black and sleeveless, and was cut off midway down her thighs, and exposed the cleavage of her large breasts. She also had a bright yellow sash which tied at the front of her outfit. The girl had thin, tight, black gloves on both of her hands. They are holstered by her middle fingers and extend beyond her wrists, just short of mid-forearm. She wore tight, black cloths acting as foot guards on both of her legs. They started midway up her shins down to her middle toes, each held by thin straps at the bottom arches of her feet.

"But to be able to "see" isn't enough." she purred.

Kagome stood in front of Kaori protectively despite her sister's protests for her to stand back. "Who are you?" she countered, staring hard at the woman above them.

The woman said nothing as she raised a small red comb, a few black strands of hair weaved through the teeth, and giggled evilly.

* * *

><p>Youko leapt from the branch he was perched on, not even giving it time to bow under his weight, as he traveled through the treetops. His ears picked up the sound of his partner's footsteps as Hiei ran below on the forest floor. He growled low in his chest as his mind replayed the scene from earlier.<p>

_Kagome placed her damp clothes over her left arm and brought it to her chest. "We're going home."_

"_Sayonara, Youkai-san." Kaori said over her shoulder as she and her twin began to walk away from the clearing, back down the path to the village._

"_You..." the kitsune managed to say as he leapt to his feet._

_The younger sister did not even spare the fox a glance as she replied, "My name is not "You". It is Kagome, please call me by my given name."_

_Hiei held his hand out as if that would keep the girls from walking away from them. "Onna, wait."_

_Kaori shook her head softly as she called back, "It's Kaori. Not onna."_

"_I said for you to wait!" he growled._

_The girls turned around, eyes blazing with an angry fire as they snapped, "Why? It's useless to try and stop us."_

_Hiei appeared next to them with his hand held out. "The Shikon shard. Leave it."_

_Kagome reached inside her haori, pulling out the little burgundy pouch that housed the fragment and in an innocent voice said, "You mean this?"_

_The imiko nodded._

"_Kaori?" the younger twin looked at her sister, who nodded at her._

"_Fuse."_

"_Tsuke."_

_The rosaries around the demons' necks flashed brightly before forcing them to kneel, face buried in the gravel. Growling lowly, they snapped their heads up, "Why you!"_

_Kagome twirled the string of the pouch around her finger as she linked arms with Kaori and together they walked off. "If you can't call us by our names, then you cannot have it."_

Hiei picked up on Youko's thoughts and scowled deeply, his almond-shaped eyes narrowed as his lips pulled back into a thin line. "Hn. Let them go. Who cares." he scoffed, jumping up to stand on the branch next to the kitsune and folded his arms over his chest.

Youko looked at the imiko out of the corner of his eyes before leaping off his branch and began running once more, calling over his shoulder, "I'm going to scout ahead. You go to the village."

The apparition glared at the back of the silver fox demon for making demands of him, but relented, jumping back down to the ground and turning to head back to the village. "Bossy fox." Running through the forest, he relished in the smell of the clean, crisp air, the feel of the sun and wind on his skin, and the sounds of nature around him. It's been fifty years since he was able to do so and he found that he had missed it. All too soon, Hiei reached the village and was assaulted by the stench of humans and farm animals.

His jagan eyes began pulsating behind the strip of cloth that hid it from view, signalling him that danger was near and he jumped from the spot he was standing in just in time to avoid the sickle that was aimed for his head. Turning around, he found several women floating in the air, each carrying a different form of weapon as they began to encircle him. "What's this?"

Slowly, one by one the women raised their weapons and moved in closer. Hiei grinned sadistically and grabbed the first woman by the wrist and slammed her to the ground. "You intend to take me on? Fine by me. Don't think that because you are female that I will go easy on you." he flexed his muscles slightly as he leaped into the air.

* * *

><p>Running through the trees, Youko embraced the feel of the wind streaking through his hair, the sweet scent of the small flowers blooming in the trees, the slight creak of the branches when he landed on them. His ears twitched as the leaves began to whisper of a danger that was approaching him at an alarming speed. The kitsune jumped back just in time to see the branch he was about to land on explode, sending splinters of wood everywhere and the tree howled in pain. "What the hell is this?" he bent to tend to the plant's wounds when he felt icy fingers slip through his hair.<p>

"Such beautiful silver hair. My imouto would love to add it to her collection." a deep male voice purred, sliding his fingers along Youko's scalp, almost touching the base of his ears.

The silver fox demon turned around with a snarl, his claws aimed for the intruder's tendons as he wanting nothing more than to take the arm attached to the hand caressing his head so intimately. "Get your hands off of me!"

The man jumped back in time to avoid losing an arm, giving the kitsune a good look at him. He was tall, very tall, at least a head taller than Youko with very long, straight, jet-black hair and violet eyes with pointy eyelids. Some of his hair bangs were messily arched above his head and covered his face slightly. The clothes he wore made him look slightly flamboyant, as he wore a long, wavy black coat with a red inside. On the bottom half of his face lies a metallic mask, with a couple of chains to help keep the mask on, and eight breathing holes.

Youko narrowed his eyes at the man, not liking the look in his eyes. "Who are you and what do you want?" he demanded.

The man simply placed his hands in the pockets of his black pants. "You will find out in due time, my kitsune."

Normally the sultry sound of anyone's voice would make Youko feel a wave of lust and make his body harden, but this man's voice made his skin want to crawl as a nasty shiver went down his spine. "Disgusting freak." he brushed his fingers through his hair, grabbing the necessary seed to bring forth his signature Rose Whip and prepare to kill off this demon.

* * *

><p>"Sakasa Kami Yura is my name." the woman greeted, smiling slightly as her fingers twitched in an weird wave. "But you don't need to remember. Because you'll be dead soon." Long strands of hair, almost invisible to the naked eye, flew towards the twins from her fingertips and acted as whips. The hair-whips sliced and tore at the girls, ripping their haori and tearing skin. She smirked and yanked her left hand back, "I'll take the Shikon now," and the pouch hidden inside Kagome's shirt flew into her hand. Opening the little burgundy bag, she reached inside and pulled out the little sliver of the jewel. "Ararara?" she clicked. "What have you done? Where are the rest of them?"<p>

Kagome glared up at Yura, her eyes filled with a burning fire. "Give that back!"

Yura frowned as she slipped the shard back in the pouch. "Answer me. Where have you hidden the remaining fragments."

Kaori finally managed to pull her little sister behind her as she snarled, "We don't have those damned things! It broke into thousands of pieces! Now leave us alone!"

"I see." the woman narrowed her reddish-violet eyes as a sword with a red hilt floated towards her and she grabbed it. "In that case, you can just die!" Yura swung her sword in a wide arc, aiming for the twins' throats.

Kagome's eyes widened as she cried out, "No!" And jumping in front of her sister, pushing her down the well. There was a flashback of the first time they fell down the well as Kaori reached out and grabbed Kagome by the wrist, pulling her down with her. They closed their eyes as they braced for the impact with the bone covered ground.

Yura hovered over the lip of the well, throwing her sword in after them. "It's useless to try and escape!" Her eyes widened when she did not feel her blade connect with a body, "Ararara?" she clicked as she yanked on the strand of hair attached to the sword. Yura frowned when she saw that the silver metal was clean. "No blood? Just what are those girls?" Feeling a tug on the hair connected to her left hand a sultry smile slithered on her lips. "Guess I'll go have some fun with my other prey."

* * *

><p>As Hiei swung another woman into a nearby tree, he finally realized why he has not used his sword or claws on them. They were girls from the village and deep within his mind, he registered them as people he knew and could not kill. Dropping his offensive stance slightly, he said in a demanding voice, "Mind telling me what the hell is going on?"<p>

"Jaganshi..." a voice said quietly as if talking was painful. Looking down the imiko found Ren slowly crawling towards him, a large gaping wound torn through her left shoulder. "Please do not harm these women."

Hiei narrowed his eyes as he sidestepped another attack from one of the women before bringing his knee up into her stomach. "Babaa, what happened to you?" his fist connected with another's abdomen, sending her flying into a tree. "And why shouldn't I harm them? They sure as hell are trying to harm me."

Ren struggled to her feet, putting pressure on her shoulder wound to help stop the bleeding. "They are being controlled." her eye darted about before widened, "Where is Kurama? Why did you not bring Kagome or Kaori?"

"The fox went ahead and those troublesome onna went back home." he scoffed. Moving his elbow back, the imiko rammed into the neck of an attacking village woman. "I can more than handle this. I do not need their help."

"Do not touch the village girls!" the elderly miko commanded, her voice loud and strong as she was temporarily filled with strength. "Go and get Kagome or Kaori!"

Hiei snarled at the old woman before regaining his calm and sidestepped an attack from another village woman wielding a sickle. "Will you just shut up already?" he gave her a stern glare as he stared at the gaping wound ripped through her shoulder, "Or have you forgotten that they are after you as well?"

Ren held her wound even tighter in her hands, restricting the blood flow so much that her fingertips were tingling with pins and needles. "Ye do not understand, Jaganshi! Ye must find the one controlling them!" she cried out as a jolt of pain surged down her body. A woman raised a cleaver and prepared to attack Ren's unprotected back and the next thing the old miko realized she was standing next to Hiei with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. All while him being mindful of her injury.

The imiko spared her a glance as he removed his arm from around her. "You must have forgotten, Babaa." he stated coolly.

"Jaganshi..." she sighed. "Find the hair, cut it, and the trance will be broken."

"What hair?" Hiei growled as he threw another woman away from him. This was starting to get annoying. With Ren around, he really could not use his sword or claws on these girls. For he would not hear the end of it and the old woman had a very sick sense of humor and would probably find a way to make his subjugation beads work with her command. "I don't see anything!"

A few kilometers away Yura sat in a tree giggling every now then as she played with her prey, twitching her fingers back and forth. Her knees bent as she brought them closer to her chest. "He's a feisty one. My nii-sama would love to play with him." she giggled softly once more. "Let's close in on this one."

Back in the village with Hiei, he threw a punch at a village woman but she flew in up in the air with her cleaver raised high. He smirked and shifted his weight on his back leg, anticipating her attack, but what he did not know that the girl was simply a distraction as the other women flew up even higher into the air.

"Jaganshi! Run away!" Ren cried out when she saw that it was a trap, but cringed when several strands of hair shot out and coiled around the imiko, immobilizing his hands to his chest. She watched helplessly as Hiei struggled to move around to dodge the attacks of the girls, but since he was tangled up in their hair with him; it was near impossible.

Yura leaned back deeper into the tree, moving her fingers back and forth as she controlled the hair. She giggled evilly. She was truly having too much toying with her target. Perhaps she should end his misery and stop playing with him. Another soft chuckle. No way! Yura was having too much fun to end it just yet.

Hiei grunted when a sickle sliced through his back, ripping his cloak but not his flesh, A sadistic smirk crossed his features as he chuckled lowly. "The person controlling these treads is a fool. I may be tangled up, but I don't need my arms to kill whoever is in front of me!" He leapt up into the air backwards in attempt to drag Yura to him.

The green-haired woman felt the strands of hair tightened around her fingers and smiled coolly as she loosened her hold on them until they laid limp between her fingers. "Oh, no, I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Her keen eyesight saw the black figure that was her prey fall to the ground roughly and her acute hearing heard his low string of curses. "Hm. I'm starting to act like my nii-sama." she giggled and tilted her head to the side. "I guess it's time to stop teasing you." Yura twisted the hair in her hands until it formed a cat's cradle and she pulled her fingers away from each other, tightening the center into a small ring.

The hybrid growled when he was suddenly lifted off the ground and slammed into a nearby tree, the force of the impact almost breaking the plant in half. The strands of hair tightened around his body in a painful manner, biting into his skin and trying to spill blood. Ren called out his name horsely when the threads moved in even close pressing the imiko into the tree and nearly cutting off his airway.

"There is no way in hell, I am letting some low-level youkai kill me." A violet glow shined from behind the white cloth over his forehead as black flames began to rise from the ground and circled around his body, engulfing him in the ebony fires.

Yura frowned when the hair in her grip suddenly went limp and dropped in her hands. "The hair has gone slack?" she clicked her tongue in irritation. "The head was not severed!"

Hiei flexed his arm and winced in pain at the burning feeling the traveled up the length. Soon he felt a slight wave of dizziness and the desire to sleep. "Damn. I'm getting rusty." He cut his eyes to the side when he heard the shuffling of footsteps that could only belong to the old woman.

"If you were a lesser youkai, you would have lost your head."

The imiko shot her a glare. "Be silent, Babaa. Nobody asked you."

There was that strange whistling sound that the elderly miko heard before she was attacked and unconscious village men holding various weapons floated toward them. Hiei gave them a bored look as he cracked his knuckles. "Really? The human puppets again? It's starting to get old." _'And fairly annoying.'_ he thought.

Ren gripped her wounded shoulder as sweat began to bead at her forehead. "Jaganshi, leave. I will handle this." Her breath came out in small pants.

Hiei scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Like you handled it earlier..." he trailed off when he heard the old women sink to the ground, wincing in pain while crying out his name weakly. "Ren-babaa." he called her by her name for the first time. Sighing, he picked her up and placed her on his back carefully, not wanting to cause her wounds to bleed. "I suppose I should help you."

* * *

><p>Youko hissed in pain as he held his wounded left arm, blood dripped down to the ground to color it crimson. He tightened his hold on his Rose Whip as he looked around for the tall, dark-haired demon. <em>'Dammit. He's strong and fast.'<em> He froze when the newly familiar icy touch of fingers stroked through his hair.

"Such lovely silver hair." the youkai's voice cooed, moving his fingers through Youko's soft locks. He leaned in close and placed his lips next to the kitsune's ear. "I may just have to keep you for myself."

The silver fox demon swung around, his Rose Whip poised to kill and his golden eyes livid. "Don't touch me!"

The black-haired man touched Youko's shoulder, letting his fingers drag along the unclothed flesh before moving away. His black cloak flared out, revealing the bright red color on the inside and made him look like a raven. An explosion went off next to the kitsune and nearly blew his arm off. The man narrowed his eyes in delight at the blood dripping from Youko's body.

"Dammit!" he cursed as he was forced to drop his weapon as his right hand went limp. Taking a small step back, his eyes widened when he'd felt something clamp onto his leg. Looking down, he was what it was. Four large thick vines wrapped themselves around his left leg, but they would not listen to his commands. It was not until the round bulb twirled around to reveal its single yellow eye and grinning mouth.

His sickeningly sultry voice of the dark-haired demon drifted towards the kitsune. "I call that my mad bomb."

The Mad Bomb grinned up at Youko before saying, "Time say, bombs away," and exploding. Youko bit his lip hard enough to draw blood to keep from screaming out in pain. His breath came out in small pants and the strength in his legs was almost gone. It too all his might just to remain standing and to glare at the tall demon.

"I suppose I should at least tell you my name before you die." he reached out and tipped Youko's chin up with a single red claw-tipped finger. "I am called Karasu."

For some odd reason, Youko felt a deep hatred for this man. It was not because Karasu was trying to kill him, nor was it the sickening way he was flirting with him. It was something that not even the great Youko Kurama could comprehend. Just as he was about to shift his mouth to bite the taller demon's finger off, a shrill voice rang through the air.

"Nii-sama! Come here! I need something!"

Karasu cursed at his younger sister's timing. "Looks like our time was cut short." he stroked his fingers through Youko's hair once more, his fingers trailing up to his pointed ears. "I will be seeing you again, my pretty kitsune."

The spirit fox slumped to his knees the instant Karasu was out of sight. Pools of dark red fell around him from his wounds as he cursed, "Dammit, the bastard."

* * *

><p>Yura crossed her arms over her chest as she tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for her brother to appear. She played with the strand of hair in her hands as she giggled softly to herself. Soon her sensitive ears picked up on the quiet footsteps that could only belong to her brother and she bowed in greeting, "Nii-sama."<p>

"What did you need of me, Yura." he stated, placing his hands inside his pockets.

The young woman held up the strand of hair she's found intermixed with her webs. "Look." she broadcasted the snow colored string. "I want this pretty white hair." Her eyes widened with glee when the piece of hair darkened to a dark shade of raven. "Oh, it even fades to black!"

Karasu sighed and shook his head from side to side before glaring sharply at his little sister. "You called me for this?" he questioned, his eyes livid. "I was about to finish off this beautiful kitsune with silver hair."

Yura shrunk back at the harsh look her brother was giving her, her voice a soft whisper, "Nii-sama, we can get both the kitsune and the one who has this pretty hair. I have a plan."

* * *

><p>Hiei landed on a tree branch, pausing briefly when he heard a small whimper of pain. Glancing over his shoulder, the hybrid spotted the old woman clinging to his cloak. "Are you okay back there?" he asked, although his tone clearly said that he did not care if she was or not.<p>

Ren lifted her face out of the imiko's shoulder and gave him a deadpan look. "I am fine. Jaganshi, you just be careful. The hair..." she closed her eyes when she spotted a web of hairs straight ahead of them.

The dark-haired youkai leapt off the branch, free-falling into the tangles of the strands and they snapped as they came in contact with his body. With a bored look, he said. "What was that?"

"Nothing," the old woman grumbled as she lowered her face back into his shoulder.

* * *

><p>Yura reached up and grabbed a handful of hair and swung through the forest, giggling all the way. "They are really stubborn, but fun." She raised the hand that held the strand of Hiei's hair. "Nii-sama, I will get this hair." Yura brought her hand to her lips and kissed the follicle.<p>

Karasu leisurely made his way back to the clearing where he'd left Youko barely standing in a small pool of blood. He was disappointed when his prey was nowhere to found. He looked around the five kilometer range and frowned when he did not spot the kitsune. Bringing his fingers up to his face, he touched his silver mask, "With his injuries, he couldn't have gotten far."

Little did he know, Youko was far far away from the clearing where their small battle issued. By using his control over plants, he found the safest path to his comrades and never once bumping into Karasu. When the leaves whispered to him that the master bomber was close by, the kitsune covered his body with the foliage as a camouflage. Soon his sensitive nose picked up on the scent of his partner-in-crime and he limped over to the source.

Hiei raised his head at the shuffling sound coming from the shrubbery behind him and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. He only relaxed when Youko's scent reached him. "Fox, what happened to you?" the hybrid eyed the various still healing wounds that littered the kitsune's body.

Youko pressed his hand against the slow healing injury on his shoulder and gave the imiko a dead look. "A youkai called Karasu managed to get the upper hand on me." his golden eyes slid over to the elderly woman laying on a bed of leaves, wincing in pain every now and then. "What happened to you and the babaa." he pointed to the faint red line around Hiei's neck.

The apparition tugged his scarf up higher on his neck by force of habit. Whenever Youko chances to see an injury on Hiei's body, he would immediately pin the smaller demon down and lick the wound. The imiko knew that the kitsune's saliva was like a healing salve, but so was his. Also there was his koorime blood that aided in his advanced healing. Youko does it for the pleasure of teasing Hiei, knowing that the hybrid hated being touched intimately by the same sex.

"A low level youkai controlling hair attacked the village." he glared at the kitsune when he took a step forward. "I am fine. Do not attempt to come any closer than what you are." Hiei turned his attention down to Ren. "Babaa, you said that you can see the strands. Tell me exactly where it is coming from."

Ren opened her eye and narrowed it at the apparition. "Don't be ridiculous!" she scolded. "With me wounded like this and my poor eyesight. Ye must go and retrieve Kagome and Kaori."

Youko scowled and folded his arms over his chest. "So, they can see these strands of hair?" He then began to wonder if that girl could also see those invisible bombs that Karasu used to attack him with/

"Yes." Ren managed out, her eyelid getting heavy as darkness tried to consume her. "For these foes, they are needed for victory." she surrcomed to the slumber and her eye slid closed.

* * *

><p>Kaori winced as she slowly lifted her head up and soon she felt the weight of her little sister crushing her. Shaking Kagome gently, the older girl pushed her away. "Oww..." Kaori reached up and rubbed the back of her head, "my head."<p>

Kagome opened her eyes and looked around her dark surroundings. "Where is this?" she noticed the familiar stone walls. "The bottom of the well." she patted the ground gently, shrieking when she touched one of Mistress Centipede's bones.

The elder twin giggled softly. "I remember. That girl, Yura tried to kill me and you pushed us down the well." she grabbed her sister by the arms and hugged her tightly. "That was brave of you, Kags."

"You're my big sister, Kao. I'm not going to lose my other half." Kagome smiled.

"We've looked in this well many time now!" a familiar voice croaked out.

Another voice hissed, "I already told you, Jii-chan! This is where the monster pulled them down!"

"You were probably just dreaming." the other voice snapped out as a bright light shined down into the well, nearly blinding the two girls.

"It's the truth!" Two faces peered down into the well. Faces that made the twins tear up.

Kagome smiled through her tears, "Jii-chan!"

"Souta!" Kaori cried and she tried to climb up the face of the well.

After her third failed attempt, Jii-chan threw down a rope ladder and helped the two young women out of the bottom of the well. On shaking legs, the twins walked out of the Well Shrine and gazed around the familiar sight of Higurashi Shrine. _'This isn't a dream. We're really back home.'_ Kagome reached out and took hold of her sister's hand.

Jii-chan walked up behind his granddaughters. "Girls, you've been gone for nearly three whole days. You had us so worried."

'_Home. We're home.' _the tears that were brimming behind their eyelids broke free as the girls ran to a family member - Kagome to Jii-chan's arms and Kaori knelt down and squeezed Souta to her chest. "We were so scared!" they cried.

Souta looked up at his grandfather with a questioning look in his eyes. Something must have had scared his older sisters really bad because Kaori has never once hugged him like this; It was always one-armed, while giving him a noogie.

"My granddaughters, what happened?"

* * *

><p>Youko glanced over at Ren, who was laying on the bed of leaves, not moving, and arched a elegant silver brow. "What are we to do with her?"<p>

Hiei scoffed. Humans were such weak and frail creatures. "It's none of our concern that the babaa died." he turned his head away from the old woman and proceeded to walk away, but a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Oi, Jaganshi. I am not dead. I'm resting." Ren stated in a deadpan voice, her brown eye narrowed up at the imiko. Just because she was an old woman did not mean that she would give up her will to live on.

The hybrid turned a smirk down at her. So the woman was stronger than he first thought. That wound on her shoulder was deep and would require a skilled healer to fix. "So you're alive." his tone was more of amusement than concern. "Well, we will just leave you here. Nothing will disrupt your rest."

Youko finished putting a healing salve on his wounds. He was sorely tempted to transform into his original form so that his wounds would heal faster, but foregoed it when the babaa told him about the girls' eyesight. "Maybe we'll come back and get you." he lowered his bangs and a sneaky smile tilted at his lips. "If we remember."

"Ye better not forget, Kurama and Jaganshi." she narrowed her eye even further as the two demons began to walk away and his pointed her finger at them. "Remember youkai!"

The two demons cringed at the pitch the elderly miko's voice reached and growled softly. "Okay! We'll come back." After saying that, Hiei and Youko leapt into the trees at a steadfast pace. A growl rose up in their throats as they hissed, "Damn those girls. Where they hell did they run off to?"

* * *

><p>Kaori walked out of the steamy bathroom, a towel draped over her shoulders as she dried her hair. Walking over to the balcony, she called down, "Kagome! The bath is free! I already filled the tub for you."<p>

Kagome bounced off the couch, nearly tossing Buyo off of her lap. "Okay! Thanks!" she quickly ran up the bathroom, removed her clothing, and suck in the warm water. A deep contented sigh left her lips. "Happiness at last."

The elder sister strolled to the room she shared with her twin and jumped into her bed, pulling a violet pillow to her face. "A real bed."

* * *

><p>Leaping from tree to tree, Youko and Hiei followed the scent of those two girls. Unknown to the youkai, Yura was trailing the, the inky black hair that she controlled following their every move. A few kilometers away the dark-haired demon giggled softly to herself.<p>

"Ararara." she clicked her tongue. "They will not get away from me. Those girls cannot hide forever."

* * *

><p>Running her fingers through her long raven-colored hair, Kagome sighed as the nasty tangles that accumulated there slipped out. "Oh God. Shampoo and Conditioner. This is heaven."<p>

The scents of her mother's cooking reached Kaori's nose and she took in a deep breath. Sighing longingly, she said, "I hope she's making oden!"

* * *

><p>Finally finished! So sorry I took so long to get this chapter out!<p>

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: (See first chapter)

* * *

><p>One Jewel, Two Souls<p>

* * *

><p>Recap:<p>

_"Ararara." A soft feminine voice clicked. "You have very good eyes to be able to see my net of hair."_

_Gazing up above them, the girls spotted and young woman with short, dark green hair which she had tied up fan-like in a bob style and reddish-violet eyes standing on the webs of hair. She wore traditional kunoichi garb. Her ninja tunic was black and sleeveless, and was cut off midway down her thighs, and exposed the cleavage of her large breasts. She also had a bright yellow sash which tied at the front of her outfit. The girl had thin, tight, black gloves on both of her hands. They are holstered by her middle fingers and extend beyond her wrists, just short of mid-forearm. She wore tight, black cloths acting as foot guards on both of her legs. They started midway up her shins down to her middle toes, each held by thin straps at the bottom arches of her feet._

_"But to be able to "see" isn't enough." she purred. "Sakasa Kami Yura is my name." the woman greeted, smiling slightly as her fingers twitched in a weird wave._

* * *

><p><em>"Dammit!" he cursed as he was forced to drop his weapon as his right hand went limp. Taking a small step back, his eyes widened when he'd felt something clamp onto his leg. Looking down, he was what it was. Four large thick vines wrapped themselves around his left leg, but they would not listen to his commands. It was not until the round bulb twirled around to reveal its single yellow eye and grinning mouth.<em>

_His sickeningly sultry voice of the dark-haired demon drifted towards the kitsune. "I call that my mad bomb."_

_The Mad Bomb grinned up at Youko before saying, "Time say, bombs away," and exploding. Youko bit his lip hard enough to draw blood to keep from screaming out in pain. His breath came out in small pants and the strength in his legs was almost gone. It took all his might just to remain standing and to glare at the tall demon._

_"I suppose I should at least tell you my name before you die." he reached out and tipped Youko's chin up with a single red claw-tipped finger. "I am called Karasu."_

* * *

><p><em>"Ye better not forget, Kurama and Jaganshi." she narrowed her eye even further as the two demons began to walk away and his pointed her finger at them. "Remember youkai!"<em>

* * *

><p>Higurashi Nodoka, mother of the twins plus Souta, swirled her cup of coffee around. Her dark oak colored eyes wide as she listened to her father-in-law recite what her daughters had experienced. It was truly a strange and unheard of story that she had to question it. "Is the girls' story really true, Tou-san?" her voice was the perfect balance between concern and curiosity.<p>

Jii-chan, or Higurashi Satoshi, merely grunted and folded his arms over his chest, ignoring his late son's wife's question. He was in deep thought about what should be done.

Souta slammed his hands on the table, his light brown eyes wide with confidence as he tried to convince the truth about his sisters' disappearance. A monster really did come up and snatch them away! He saw it with his own eyes! The young boy looked up at his grandfather curiously when he suddenly stood and ran to the outside.

Satoshi quickly walked into the tool shed and gathered the necessary supplies for what he was about to do. After getting the items he needed, the old man walked to the Well Shrine and placed a new covering over the mouth of the well and nailed it shut. He then placed several ofuda over the cover and around the sides of the well, "There!" he chuckled smugly to himself. Now no more demons will come and take my precious granddaughters away!"

Kaori was lounging around on the couch, sipping on a can of cola, using the remote to flip through the channels on the television. Kagome walked in, drying her hair with a towel and took the can out of her sister's hand, ignoring the cry of surprise and took a long drink. The older sister was about to retort and snatch her soda back when her grandfather came bursting in from outside and shouted something that caught her attention, "You sealed..."

"The well?" Kagome finished, setting the can on a coaster.

Satoshi boasted with his chest puffed out pridefully. "Yes!" he walked over and grabbed his granddaughters' hands with his own. "With special ofuda that wards off evil spirits and seal off the entry to the Netherworld." he smiled reassuringly, "That well will never be opened again."

Kagome and Kaori looked at each other before taking their hands back from their jii-chan's hold. Together they sighed wistfully and ran into up the stairs into their shared room to wait for their mother to finish cooking dinner.

* * *

><p>Travelling at a quick pace through the trees, Youko and Hiei only paused once to make sure that they still had the lock on the twins' scent. Leaping onto another branch, the kitsune peered down at the clearing that was ahead of them. His keen sight found a small withered well in the center of the plain and his lips curved into a smile. "Hiei, down there."<p>

The hybrid inhaled deeply and scowled at the scent that filtered through his senses. While he had trained his mind to hate that familiar scent, his body still craved it. Frowning, Hiei jumped from the tree and walked over the Dry Well and practically covered his nose with his scarf to stop the scent of the girls from assaulting him. "I've noticed. It's no mistaking it, the onna were here."

Youko dropped down on the balls of his feet and picked up the white, green collared uniform shirt that was lying on the ground in front of the well. "Hiei, their strange clothing." he gazed down at the black hole that was the mouth of the well, "They must have found a way back home through here."

"What are you waiting for then, Fox?" Hiei stated, already standing on the lip of the Dry Well. "Come on." the imiko jumped into the darkness.

The kitsune rolled his eyes. "And he calls me bossy. Chibi-ko." he chuckled slightly when his partner-in-crime yelled at him through their mental link before following after him into the bleakness of the well.

* * *

><p>Kagome snuggled up with Buyo on her bed, giggling softly when the fat calico cat's tail twitched around on her face. "Kao, I think I missed by bed the most." she sighed in contentment, stroking her cat's soft cream-colored fur.<p>

Kaori buried her face into her pillow. "Me too."

"I still wonder how we got back from that other age, that other time frame." the younger twin questioned as she sat up and played with Buyo's ears.

_Ren set her sight on the imiko. "It matters not how." she walked over to the twins and placed her hands on their shoulders. "All that matters in that the jewel is now shattered in many fragments. It could be hundreds or thousands." she tightened her fingers over the girls' shoulders. "But we must obtain them before those who would abuse them."_

_She smirked and yanked her left hand back, "I'll take the Shikon now," and the pouch hidden inside Kagome's shirt flew into her hand. Opening the little burgundy bag, she reached inside and pulled out the little sliver of the jewel. "Ararara?" she clicked. "What have you done? Where are the rest of them?"_

"Sakasa Kami Yura." Kagome mumbled the demoness' name as she tweaked Buyo's ears, making him purr loudly. "I wonder what she was after."

Kaori looked at her younger sister with a playful smile. "She was after the jewel, Kagome no baka." she giggled when her twin huffed and threw a pink pillow at her.

Kagome stuck her tongue out at her big sister before a slightly guilty look entered her ashen-blue eyes. "I bet Youko and Hiei would be so angry if they found out the shard was taken." she shivered when she remembered how mad the kitsune had gotten when he learned that she shattered the Shikon no Tama in the first place. How his golden eyes seemed to flash red for a brief second.

"Just remember what those arrogant jerks said to us." Kaori reminded with a frown.

_The silver fox demon scoffed and looked away indignantly. "You wished. As I said before: They were much more intelligent looking and very beautiful." he lifted his nose in the air and crossed his arms over his chest._

_Hiei appeared beside his partner-in-crime, arms folded and eyes narrowed into a glare. "Fine by me. I prefer to be alone anyway."_

Kagome scoffed and placed Buyo on the floor. "That's right, they prefer to be alone."

Kaori sat up in her bed, a determined look on her delicate features as she clasped her hands together as if she were closing a book. "Okay! We'll just forget all about them and that strange world we entered!"

The younger Higurashi twin cheered alongside her sister as she hopped up from her bed and jumped onto Kaori's. The mattress bounced with the added weight and Kagome flung her arms around her older sister and tackled her to the bed, giggling. "Yeah! Besides we can never return to that world again!"

"Kagome!" Nodoka called up, "Kaori! Yuka and Ayumi are on the phone!" with a motherly tone she also added, "And dinner is ready!"

They twins hopped to their feet and each grabbed a cordless phone, pressed the answer button and called back down to their mother. Smiling into the phone's receiver the girls greeted two of their best friends and engaged into a meaningful and much-needed girl talk.

* * *

><p>"Jii-chan," Souta said from beside his grandfather, a reproachful look in his eyes. "Will the ofuda on the well ever come off?" he asked the question timidly. The youngest Higurashi child did not want his sisters to be kidnapped by another creature like that. He never wanted to see his siblings cry like that again.<p>

Satoshi crossed his arms over his chest and shot Souta a cheeky look. "Never!" he declared proudly. "Each ofuda contains powerful words of ancient magic that cannot be broken. No matter what kind of evil spirit, it will be impossible!" he ended his boast with a prideful laugh and looked at his granddaughters with expectancy in his eyes. "So, my granddaughters, you can rest easy."

"Wah!" the girls cried out, stars in their eyes. "Mama made oden!" clasping their hands together, the twin completely ignore their grandfather in favor of chanting, "Oden! Oden! Oden!"

Souta gave Satoshi a deadpan look as he said, "They aren't listening."

Satoshi broke out in a fit of fake tears as he brought slowly began to fill his grandchildren's bowls with the mixture. He handed them a pair of chopsticks and his attitude began to lighten when he saw the happy and content smiles on their faces as they took their first bite of oden.

Kagome and Kaori sighed in pleasure when their taste buds exploded with joy at the warm food. _'It feels so good to be back home!'_ They picked out their favorite piece of meat out of the hot-pot and popped it into their mouths just as the shoji door behind them slid open. Two sets of greyish-blue eyes widened at the newcomers who just burst into their kitchen.

"Youko?"

"Hiei?"

The two demons were absolutely livid. Here were those girls sitting here enjoying a meal when they were needed back to collect the jewel that they had broken. "Omae..." they growled lowly, eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Why did you come here?"

Kagome placed her bowl down and rose to her feet, her chopsticks still in her fingers as she pointed at the youkai. "Where did you come from?!"

Youko eyed the young girl before snatching the utensils out of her hand and broke them between his fingers. "The Dry Well." he gave her a deadpan look, "Where else?"

Kaori set her food down with a heavy sigh. Why did they have to come now of all times! It was oden night for god's sake! "What do you mean 'the Dry Well?' It's been..."

Satoshi sprung up out of his seat, pointing a finger at the two demons with his eyes sharp. "Do not lie!" he bellowed loudly. "Those ofuda have been used by this shrine since ancient times and cannot fail!" he reached inside the folds of his haori, preparing to demonstrate to power of his sacred sutras when the shorter male held up a slip of paper.

Hiei showed the old man the sutra that he found sticking to his boot when he walked out of the Well Shrine. "You mean this?" the piece of paper went up in flames as the apparition said in a cold tone, "It doesn't work." His gaze turned bored as the old man suddenly broke out in crocodile tears.

Youko stepped forward and took hold of Kagome's arm in a firm grip, pulling her to her feet and causing her to drop her bowl of food on the table. Luckily the glass landed perfectly on its bottom and did not topple over. "Come on. We're going back."

Kaori shot up out of her seat and grabbed her sister by the hand and tried to pull her from the kitsune's grip. She yelped in surprise when an arm wrapped around her waist and she was suddenly hanging over Hiei's shoulder. "Hey! Put me down!" she drummed her fists into the imiko's back repeatedly.

Kagome gave Youko a warning look when she saw him stare at the position the apparition placed her twin in. "Don't even think about it!" she ended her sentence with a squeal as she found herself in the same predicament as Kaori. "Let me go! I'm not going back!"

Nodoka could not stand it any longer! She stood out of her seat and dropped her palms down upon the table. "Just a minute!" she walked around the dinner table to the kitsune and stared him down. Youko stood firm, the piercing gaze of the girls' mother not fazing him one bit; it was not until he caught the quick movement of her hands did he react. Nodoka stood on her tip-toes and latched onto the soft furry ears on top of the boy's head. "They're real!" she said as she continued this for a moment until she saw his tail and quickly started petting the fluffy appendage.

Souta walked over to the imiko with admiration in his eyes as he stated, "How did you get your hair to do that?" his eyes sparkled when he caught sight of the way Hiei's ears were in an elegant elfin point. "Cool!"

The twins felt sweat roll down their cheek from their hairline as they laughed nervously at the way their family was reacting to Youko and Hiei, two youkai. "Mama. Souta. This is not the time for that." they turned their heads away from the scene in slight embarrassment as they remembered that they did the same thing.

Kagome blinked when she saw a strand of black hair on the pristine tunic the kitsune wore. It was far too dark of a shade to be her own and Youko had silver hair. "Ne, Youko. What this hair?"

The silver fox glanced at his shoulder and arched a brow before gazing back at the girl. "What are you talking about?"

Grabbing the aforementioned strand, the younger sister broadcasted it for all to see. "You can't see it?" she winced in pain when the hair suddenly coiled tightly around her hand and cut into her flesh, causing her blood to drip down it.

Kaori's eyes widened. "It moved." she gasped before realization hit her as Yura's words filtered through her mind. Only she and Kagome could see the hair that the demon controlled. Pushing herself from Hiei's shoulder, she grabbed Kagome off of Youko's and ran out of the house. "Kagome, it's Yura's hair!"

That got the younger sister running even faster practically dragging Kaori over to the Well Shrine. Pushing open the sliding doors, she gasped at what she saw. Thick bundles of black hair had nearly destroyed the interior of the small shrine as they moved in snake-like motions. She lifted her hand to her mouth to stifle the gasp that forced it way up, "Kaori...more hair is coming out."

"The babaa was right." the calm voices of the two demons surprised the twins, almost making them jump down into the mass beneath them. "You have good eyesight."

Kagome and Kaori whipped around and turned a heated glare at the youkai - who were casually resting against the wall - and pointed their fingers at them, "You! You brought this here!" they were about to say more when the voices of their family reached their ears and the saw them rushing over to where they were. Worried about their safety, the two girl pulled the demons inside the Well Shrine and quickly closed to door behind them. "Don't come in!"

Kaori leaned her back against the door to keep it from reopening. They glared at the tendrils of twisting and coiling hair that threw itself up out of the well and into various directions. They had to stop it somehow! Two long whips of hair suddenly flew up and headed towards the two unsuspecting youkai, who were watching the twins intently.

"Hiei! Youko! Behind you!" the elder sister yelled, pressing her hands deeper into the wooden door when someone began to bang on it.

Youko's ears twitch when the quiet sound of something rushing through the air reached him. "Jump now." he ordered a second too late and both of them were entrapped in the hair. The piercing sting of it cutting into their flesh making them growl out softly in anger. Even if their claws made contact with the swarming tendrils, they would only regroup and become whole again.

Kaori looked at her younger sister with wide eyes at what they just witnessed. "It will only gather back together when it's been cut."

Kagome groaned as she covered her face with her hand. "It won't ever be an end to it." she watched as their two demon companions were being constricted by the tendrils of hair and her heart leapt out to them when they let out a roar of pain. A glimmer caught her eye and the younger twin saw a single strand of hair sticking out of the well mouth. "Kaori...is that?" she jumped off the platform. "It's the main strand! Keep the door closed, sis! I'm going to help them."

"Huh?" the older sister gasped. "Kagome! Wait!"

"Youko! Hiei!" the youngest twin said, motioning for them to move closer to her. "It's this strand right here." she pointed to shining string of hair. Kagome sighed when they swung in her general direction widely, not trying to aim at the piece she was pointing at. _' That's right. Only me and Kaori can see it. Fine.'_ Reaching up, she took hold of the taunt hair and twisted it in her hands. The follicle sliced into the skin of her palm and blood dripped down the wire-like hair. _'Itee...Grin and bare it Kagome.'_

The kitsune lifted his nose at the scent of the younger twin's blood and saw the ruby droplet slide down the line and nodded at his partner, seeing that he was closer and the fastest. Hiei caught Youko's nod and quickly ripped apart the hair around his wrist before bringing his claws down the blood coated strand. The results were nearly instantaneously; the hair that was constricting against them slackened and shriveled up back inside the well.

"It retreated." Kaori sighed. She then proceeded to come up with a good enough lie to tell their family for them to leave. Once they left, the older sister climbed down the stairs and took Kagome's hand and examined the wound. Grimacing at how deep in penetrated the thick part of her palm, Kaori ripped a piece of her sleeve off and tied it around her sister's hand. _'Yura was after the Shikon no Tama, right? And she already stole our shard... Is she after Kagome and I?' _She looked at her twin with serious greyish-blue eyes. "We have to go back."

Kagome returned the look. "I know."

Youko stood behind the girls, nursing the wound around his wrist with his tongue. "Are you sure you wish to go back?"

The girls were quick to answer. "Hell no, we don't wanna go back." They stared at the well at the center of the Shrine floor and they swallowed dryly. _'But if we stay Mama, Jii-chan, and even Souta will be in grave danger.'_

Hiei watched the girls with alert eyes before sighing, deciding that it must be done. _Fox, do it. _ He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black seed, handing it to Youko.

Youko nodded as he swept his hand through the base of his skull and pulled out a green kernel. The two seeds began to glow faintly as the kitsune used his youki to make them grow. Soon two roses bloomed in his palm, a black one and a white one. He handed the ebony flower to Kaori and the other to Kagome. "Here."

"Wow!" the twin gushed, bringing the beautiful blossoms to their noses and took a delicate whiff of the sweet scent. "They're lovely."

"They are infused with mine and Hiei's youki. They should come to be of some use." the kitsune explained.

Kagome and Kaori quickly placed the roses into their hair. "Thank you."

Hiei snorted as he crossed his arms over his chest before a sly smirk tilted at his lips. "You wouldn't need them if you weren't so frail."

Kaori shot the imiko an agitated look. To this very day, she wondered how in the seven hells did this demon managed to get under her skin so easily with just simple words. "Urusee na! (Shut the hell up!)"

Kagome sighed, elbowing her twin in the side. "You two can bicker later, Kaori. Let's go."

Youko nodded as he wrapped his tail around the younger sister's waist, pulling her close to him as he held onto her. Together they jumped down the well first. Hiei glowered at Kaori, who returned the look before he reluctantly reached for her hand and yanked her to his chest. Wrapping one arm securely around her waist he hopped onto the lip of the well. "Come on, Onna." Before she could protest or even change her mind, Hiei jumped down the well.

* * *

><p>Yura giggled softly as she picked up a red skull and began to rake her comb through its long black tresses. "They'll be here any minute now, Nii-sama." She stroked her hand down the cheek of the bone, gasping when it was suddenly yanked from her hands.<p>

Karasu snatched the small item from his sister's hands, his violet eyes hard. "For your well being, they better." He drew a sharp claw along the cheek of the skull, gouging a long thin line.

A whimper left the demoness' lips as her own flesh split open and blood ran freely down her face to her lips. The coppery, metallic taste of her own life-giving fluids made her sick to her stomach and Yura nodded her head vigorously. "H-hai, Nii-sama!"

* * *

><p>"Be careful." Kagome's voice cautioned from above. "There was hair inside the well." she rubbed her arms that was decorated in small lacerations from being nicked. If it was not for Youko protecting her, the younger sister would have gotten sliced up worse that she was already. She sighed when the kitsune began to rub some kind of medicinal ointment on her wounds.<p>

Youko growled softly as he had to waste one of his healing salves on this fragile creature, but the scent of her blood was too much to bear. It reminded him too much of the person he wanted to forget. "So, you actually think that Sakasa Kami Yura is after us?"

Kagome nodded her head slowly and hesitated before answering, "Yes, I do. She already took our shard; so she must be after us."

Upon hearing about their lost of the jewel, the imiko loosened his grip on Kaori and almost made her fall back inside the hair infested well. "What did you just say?"

Kaori screamed as her legs dangled just above the deadly strings. "Hiei! Get me the hell out of here!" she reached up and tugged on his scarf, yanking him backwards. She sighed in relief when the apparition turned around and pulled her out of the mouth of the well. "You jerk!" she fumed as she punched him in the chest. "I would've died if you dropped me!"

Hiei smirked slightly. "Be glad that you are of use to me."

"Will you two cut it out!" Kagome snapped. She swore when it came to breaking up fights between the imiko and her sister, Kagome felt like the eldest. Pointing her finger over in a spot where she saw several glowing strings of hair, the younger twin stated, "I bet if we follow that path, we'll get to Yura's hideout!"

Youko nodded before kneeling in front of Kagome, presenting her his back. "Get on."

Kaori glanced at Hiei and crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. There was no way that she was going to let the jerk carry her anywhere! She gasped when she was suddenly swept off her feet and tossed over the imiko's shoulder. Drilling her fists against his broad chest, Kaori said, "Put me down!" She growled when he simply grunted and crouched down to spring into the trees. "If you're going to carry me, at least let me get on your back!" Yelping when his arm removed itself from around her waist, Kaori quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist as she began to fall backwards.

They traveled through the trees, barely giving the branches time to bow with their weight. The twins pointing out their way through the dense forest. Soon a red glow caught the attention of the demons and they hopped out of the treetops to find a lone campfire. The girls gasped at the sight they were greeted with. Corpses. Wandering soldiers had the misfortune of getting trapped in Yura's web and they were pinned to the tree with blood flowing from their severed throats.

Placing a hand over their mouths, the twins said, "Their heads have been cut clean off."

Youko sighed as he let the younger sister slide from his back and onto the ground. "These must have been wandering soldiers. They must have gotten tangled up in the hair."

"Such a pity. Humans are such weak and insignificant beings." Hiei tilted his head back and laughed cruelly. But it was cut short by Kaori as she smacked him in the back of the head. He shot her a death glare but she was seemingly unfazed by it.

Kaori pushed herself off of the imiko's back and walked over to her sister when the younger girl began rummaging through the soldiers things. "Kagome, what are you doing?"

Kagome rose back to her full height and strapped a small quiver of arrows across her back and held a bow in her left hand. With her other hand, she tossed wakizashi to her sister, who caught it unsteadily. "We're going to borrow these." At her twin's nod, Kagome walked back over to Youko and climbed on his back when he presented it to her.

The elder sister sighed as she placed the blade into one of her skirt's belt loops and looked at Hiei. She sighed in relief when he did not try to pull the same stunt as he did back at the well and showed her his back after kneeling down. She got on and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as he took off after the kitsune.

"Onna, are really capable of using a sword?" the forbidden child asked.

Kaori hesitated slightly before answering, "I take Kendo at my school, but we use shinai. I've never actually used a real sword yet."

Youko turned his head slightly to look at the girl on his back. "You know as well as I that the arrows you shoot will not hit anything."

"Shut up!" Kagome fumed as she tightened her grip on the shortbow. "With some practice, I can..." she trailed off. _'Maybe I should take Kaori's advice and pick up Kyudo.'_

"You've practiced?" he questioned.

"No," she answered as her hands gripped the bow and his shoulder tighter. "But from now on, I will. I am going to improve."

Hiei glanced over at the kitsune, the mental link between them open. _Fox, these girls and their fighting spirit..._

_I know, Hiei...It is very similar to theirs._

After a milestone of silence, with only the twins commenting and pointing in the direction where the strands gather together more closely, they soon came to the end of the forest. Kaori's eyes widened when she saw the sharp strands of hair closing in on her sister and Youko. Opening her mouth, she shouted, "Kagome, look out!"

Youko heard the alarmed cry of the older girl, but it was not until the one on his back pulled on his toga did he react and leapt off the branch he was perched in. The wood turned to splinters as long, thick ropes of hair surged towards them. Keeping their mental link open, the two demons communicated and simultaneously avoided the tendrils that lashed out at them. Along with the aid of the two girls on their backs, Youko and Hiei made it through the onslaught unfazed.

It was not until a sudden explosion went off in front of the youkai, ripping the twins from their backs and sending them flying to the ground. Kaori grunted in pain when she landed on her side and lost her breath as the younger twin crashed into her.

"Itai!" Kaori yelped. "Kagome! Get off of me!"

Kagome rolled off of her sister and smiled sheepishly at her. "I can't help that I landed on you."

"You can help that you weigh a ton!" the older girl snapped out before her eyes widened at what she saw. "Is that..." she trailed off.

The younger twin turned around and looked at what her sister was pointing at, gasping, "A giant hairball?!"

The girls looked at one another before something clicked in their minds. "Yura's lair!" They turned around to look for their demon companions, wanting to tell them of their findings. A figure hidden in the shadow flew over their heads, threads of the manipulated hair tangling Hiei up in its grasp and pulled him up into the air with his arms spread in a crucifix.

Yura giggled behind her hand as she cooed, "Ararara. What a fine prey I've caught. Don't you agree, Nii-sama."

"Yes." a low voice echoed. "You've caught a lovely specimen. But I'd have to say that mine is lovelier." Ice cold fingers threaded through Youko's hair, making the kitsune's skin crawl.

The spirit fox jumped away from the long appendages and growled low in his chest, "Karasu."

The demoness stared almost seductively at Hiei as she purred, "You're Jaganshi Hiei, are you not?" You're just as handsome as the other demoness described."

Hiei glowered at the hair demon, his almond-shaped eyes narrowed with hatred as he pulled against his restraints. "And you are Sakasa Kami Yura. You're just as petty as the demons I've killed described. " he smirked when Yura's facial expression contorted into one of shock. "How do you know of me?"

Yura placed her hands on her hips. The nerve of this apparition making demands of her. Slowly, her sultry smile returned as she tilted her head to the side, "You didn't hear? Everyone is talking about the imiko, Jaganshi Hiei, and his kitsune partner, Youko Kurama, becoming the pets of two reincarnated miko to aid them in protecting the Shikon no Tama." she grinned over at Karasu, "Right Nii-sama."

Karasu's eyes never left Youko's face, even as he answered, "Correct, Yura."

"Us?" Hiei scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Pets of those worthless humans?"

Reaching inside the space between her breasts, Yura pulled out the pouch that housed the jewel. "Well, to me and Nii-sama, you're all worthless." Taking the small, glowing shard out of the burgundy sack, she continued, "Just look what you did to the poor jewel."

Youko growled low in his chest and took a threatening step towards the hair witch when the voice of Kagome reached his ears, "Don't move!" she had shouted, "There are some kind of glowing orbs around you!"

"What?" he questioned, unable to see what she was talking about. Then suddenly hundreds of green glowing balls of light twinkled into his view. They had him surrounded at every angle. One careless step and he would detonate them.

Karasu sliced his violet eyes over to the girl who just spoke and a slow smirk tilted at his lips. "So she can see my bombs without me allowing her to see them." he drawled lazily before shrugging his shoulders. "No matter. It is already too late." A whizzing sound made him lean his head to the side to avoid the arrow that was shot at him. The metal tip managed to break the chains that held up his mask and the mouth bit slid off his face. Directing livid eyes in the direction from which the arrow flew from, Karasu found the girl, who had warned his prey about his bombs, standing with her legs shoulder-width apart and the short bow clutched in her hands.

"Let Youko go!" she demanded as she pulled another arrow out of her quiver. "Or the next one will hit!"

The tall, dark-haired demon calmly took in a deep breath and his long, straight ink-black hair turned a curly blond. "You shouldn't have done that girl."

Yura glanced over to see the little human girl pointing an arrow at her brother and growled in outrage. "You little wench! How dare you point that at my nii-sama!" she snapped her eyes back to Hiei and raised her hand and a red comb materialized in her fingers. "I'll have to deal with you and your bitch first. Then Nii-sama and I will go and look for the other shards."

Hiei smirked at the demoness. "Deal with me?" he scoffed under his breath. "You're going to rue the day that you crossed me." he burned through the hair holding up his wrists and tried to make his way over to Yura, but she anticipated this move.

Sweeping her arm in an upward motion, thick bundles of hair flew from the teeth of her comb and tangled Hiei back up in its grasp. She dropped from the thread she was standing on and made her way over to her prey. "I don't think so." she purred as she reached up to tread her fingers through his hair. "Such pretty raven-colored hair and not a single split end. You take good care of it."

"Get the hell off of me!" he snarled striking out her with his left hand, making her fall back, as he reached for his katana.

"Looking for this." Yura flew from below him, slicing through his chest with his own blade. She gracefully landed on a strand of hair, using it like a tightrope. Bringing the sword up to her lips, Yura drew her tongue along the length of the gleaming metal. "I'll cut you into pieces with your own sword."

Hiei threw her a dirty look. "I wouldn't lick that blade. It is hardly hygienic. Do you know how many demons have been killed by it?"

Yura grinned as she brandished the katana in front of her. A gasp left her lips when the string of hair she was standing on snapped. She quickly jumped to a new follicle and glared down at the reason why her precious hair was severed. "You! You're one of the girls who fell in the well."

Kaori tightened her grip on the hilt of the wakizashi as her silvery-blue eyes steeled into a hard glare. "You will release Hiei this instant!"

"Release Hiei, you say?" Yura giggled. "You must have really taken a liking to him them." she teased.

The forbidden child shot Kaori a nasty glare. "Onna, do not interfere."

Yura walked over to the older sister, gauging the texture of her hair. Sure it was a nice wavy, raven color, it just did not call out to her. "Ararara." she clicked sadly. "Your hair isn't near as pretty as Hiei's, but maybe I'll take it as well."

A vein in Kaori's temple throbbed with her anger as her grip on her blade tightened even more. "Not as pretty as his? For your information I condition my hair everyday!" she turned to her sister, who was still pointing her arrow at Karasu. "Kagome, shoot now!"

"Right!" She pulled the string taut and turned to take aim at Yura when a bomb went off just as she fired.

"Kagome!" Kaori screamed.

The arrow flew through the sky, missed its target and embedded in the black ball that formed Yura' hideout. The surrounding area of the arrow began to glow an ethereal blue and slowly the lair began to collapse in on itself. Yura gasped and placed her hands against her cheeks and cried out in horror, "Oh no! Look at what you've done!"

"Those heads..." Hiei trailed off when he spotted four freshly cleaved off craniums sliding down the massive pile of hair.

Yura shot him a small glare, "I will add yours very soon." her voice took on a low and evil tone as she raised her comb high above her head. "But first that bitch has to die along with the other one!" The hair that flew from Yura's comb was lit on fire as it soared to Kaori and covered her with its weight. "How do you like my Oni Fire." She giggled evilly. "You'll feel the heat right down to your bones."

Kaori fell to her knees, the intense fires blazed higher and covered her body. "Hiei..." she said weakly, reaching out for him with her free hand,

"Serves you right!" Yura sneered. "You're being punished because you ordered that other girl to fire at my home." She pouted in mock sympathy as she turned her reddish-violet eyes towards the imiko. "Poor thing. She'll be nothing but ashes soon; not even her bones will be left."

Karasu chuckled darkly as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Imouto, you're becoming too much like me." He turned back to his prey. "Now, my lovely kitsune, are you ready?" His eyes took on a lustful gleam as he took in the sight of a very pissed off Youko. "Don't worry. I wouldn't dare damage that beautiful face or hair of yours."

Youko growled low in his chest. "Go to hell, you bastard."

The master bomber smiled and waved his hand. Several of the glowing orbs closest to the spirit kitsune went off, but as promised none touched his face and no blood stained his silver hair. Youko roared in pain as a blast went off on his shoulder, blowing a large gaping hole in the flesh. Blood sprayed out of a wound on his thigh, nearly marring the beauty of his face. Karasu grimaced when a drop of crimson fluid fell on the kitsune's hair. "Don't fight too much. I don't want your blood to stain that silver hair of yours."

"Jaou Ensatsu Rengoku Shou!" Dark orange flames shot out of Hiei's fist and flew towards Yura, severing off her hand. Such a low-level demon was not worthy of witnessing the black flames of his dragon. And then there was the fact that since his body has been dormant for fifty years, his control was lacking. He smirked when the tendrils of hair holding him down began to loosen. "You are unable to control the hair with just a single hand."

Yura looked at the stump where her appendage used to be and frowned. "You really should learn how to treat a woman. People will start to laugh at you." As if on cue with Yura's words, the hundreds of skulls trapped in her collapsing lair began to move as if they were laughing at some unheard joke. Yura's eyes took on a fierce gleam. "Playtime is over!" Placing her comb into her mouth, she used her other hand to control the hair attached to the skulls and thrust them at Hiei. The apparition used his fists to crush them before them made contact with his body.

The hand that was still holding tightly onto the stolen sword suddenly flew towards Hiei's unprotected back. Sensing his own blade nearing his body, the imiko dodged at the last second.

"Darn!" the hair witch muttered. "I almost had your head."

"No such luck." Hiei countered with a frown.

He released another attack at Yura. The demoness calmly swung her comb, and a curtain of hair fell in front of her, blocking the fiery attack. Yura's sliced off hand charged towards the imiko from behind, and pierced his shoulder. Hiei let out a hiss of pain and the hair gripping onto him slackened, causing him crash on the ground. Yura's severed hand pulled out the sword and flew back to her wrist. A bundle of hair enveloped her wrist, and her hand reattached to it.

Karasu waved his hand around in a slow circle, causing more explosions to tear apart at the kitsune trapped inside the glowing prison. He grinned sadistically when the pain filled moans reached his ears. "Are you ready for the final move?"

The silver fox glared at the taller demon, his golden eyes livid and defiant. He let out a dry laugh, cringing when the action sent a flare of agony down his body. Blood poured from his wounds, coloring his white attire crimson. "I could ask you the same thing." he panted out harshly.

The smug smirk that was plastered on Karasu's face quickly fell into a frown as he raised his arms out straight in front of him. "I've had enough of your smart comments!" His violet eyes turned turquoise as the glowing explosives surrounding Youko went off. One by one they came in contact with the kitsune's body, blowing deeper wounds and lacerations into his flesh, and ripping cry after cry from Youko's throat.

Soon the onslaught was over and the spirit fox fell to his knees, blood coating his entire form. Only his face and long silver locks was spared from the explosions' burning wrath. His ears twitched and a growled formed in his chest when he saw the black booted feet of Karasu and his sickening voice taunting him. Youko glowered at the taller man when he noticed a large glowing orb in Karasu's palm. The kitsune's own palms began to glow a pale pink as the roots of the surrounding tree shot out of the ground and pierced the master bomber's body. "How do you like my plant?" he sneered. "It will suck the blood right out of you."

"How did you..." Karasu fell onto the hard, unforgiving ground, the roots still pumping the blood from his body.

Youko rose to his feet unsteadily. _'Now to help Hiei.'_ He let out a snarl of frustration when his legs gave out on him and he felt dizzy from the sheer amount of blood he lost. Why did his strength fail him when his partner was in a tight situation of his own?

A sultry smile slithered onto Yura's lips as she raised the sword above her head. "Now hold still; so I can get a clean-cut. I don't want your blood to stain the white of your pretty dark hair."

"I think not!" Hiei hissed as he connected his fist with Yura's jaw. He bit back a howl of pain as he dropped to his knees. Spotting the little burgundy pouch that had fallen out of the hair witch's cleavage, the imiko reached out for it. He roared when the cold metal of his own sword stabbed him in his already injured shoulder.

"Punching a woman in the face" she said with a deadpan look in her eyes. "You are indeed very rude." she bent and retrieved the little pouch back up and twirled around her index finger. "And you tried to steal my Shikon shard. Nii-sa...ararara?" she clicked when the hairs tied to her fingers tensed. Turning her head to look over her shoulder, she spotted what was moving. "Those girls!" she hissed as she watched them climb up her nest of hair. She swept her hand up, made the main sphere move, and caused the girls to slip. Yura growled when the twins managed to grab onto her precious hair and cling to it.

Hiei saw his chance and reclaimed his weapon. "Never turn your back on an enemy!" His blade easily sliced Yura in half from her shoulder to her hip.

Bundles of hair pieced the demoness' body back together and she let out a guttural growl. "You are infuriating!" she swept her right hand out to the side and forced the imiko back onto the ground.

Hiei chuckled as he raised his head to glare at the hair witch. "I've stuck you in the face and took your hand and you didn't even bat an eye. Now you seem agitated over something?" he cocked his head to the side. "Wonder what it could be?"

Yura looked at the imiko over her shoulder, her reddish-violet eyes livid.

Kagome helped her sister up a steep incline when something glittering caught her eye. It was a skull. The vibrant red color made it stand out on the sea of black hair. "Kaori, that skull."

Her sister gave an understanding nod before she called out. "Hiei! Youko! There's something inside that red skull!"

The kitsune's ears twitched slightly as the older girl's voice reached him and he lifted his head to look at them. He narrowed his eyes in concentration, but still could not see anything except Yura floating in the air. "Red Skull?"

Yura hissed as she jumped up into the air, the sword she'd stolen from Hiei trailing behind her. She snapped her eyes back when she heard the imiko leap to his feet and she sent two thick tendrils of hair at him. Growling when her precious hair missed Hiei, but she let it pass. Those girls were getting too close to her special item. "Let go of my hair!" she shouted as she used her comb to move the massive pile of hair.

Kaori cringed closer to the wall, reaching up to grab something to support her balance. "Kyah!" she screamed when her fingers came in contact with the hard, slimy surface of a human head. "Gross!" she quickly took her hand back and shook it vigorously. "I touched it!"

"If it disgusts you, then let it go!" Yura snarled as she flung the sword at the girls, striking them at their conjoined hands. She grinned manically when she saw that the blade hit him and that they were falling down through the air. "Got you!" she frowned when the katana came back to her and there was no blood on the metal. Swinging her hand out, she caught the two girls in midair. "What are you two? Why do you still have your hands!"

The girls looked in confusion at the hand that Yura had tried to cut through. There was a faint red line across the backs, but those soon faded away. How was that possible? How come they still had their hands. How did Kagome survive that explosion at such a close range? Why wasn't Kaori burned in the fire? A flashback of before they came back through the well with Youko and Hiei traveled through their minds. The youkai's words echoing through their head.

_Hiei watched the girls with alert eyes before sighing, deciding that it must be done. Fox, do it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black seed, handing it to Youko._

_Youko nodded as he swept his hand through the base of his skull and pulled out a green kernel. The two seeds began to glow faintly as the kitsune used his youki to make them grow. Soon two roses bloomed in his palm, a black one and a white one. He handed the ebony flower to Kaori and the other to Kagome. "Here."_

"_Wow!" the twin gushed, bringing the beautiful blossoms to their noses and took a delicate whiff of the sweet scent. "They're lovely."_

"_They are infused with mine and Hiei's youki. They should come to be of some use." the kitsune explained._

'_It's the flowers!'_ discreetly the twins reached up and touched the soft petals of the roses in their hair.

Yura floated in front of the girls, catching their attention as she observed them closely. "You look mortal to me." she smirked and splayed out her fingers, thin strands of hair tightened around Kaori and Kagome's throats. "Let's try this out then." Grinning sadistically when her precious hair began to cut into the flesh of the mortal girls and prevented oxygen from reaching their lungs, Yura failed to notice the two demons lurking behind her.

"Jaou Ensatsu Rengoku Shou!"

"Rouzu Uippu!"

Yura's body was ripped to pieces by the long thorn covered whip as dark orange flames engulfed the chunks of flesh. Youko's attack also severed the strings connected to the hair demon's fingers. The two male demons growled low in their chests as they grabbed the twins from the collapsing hair, ripping the strands of hair from around their throats. Holding them close to their chests, Youko and Hiei jumped through the air and landed on their feet a few meters away.

Kagome and Kaori both thanked the demons for saving them. Their ashen-blue eyes widened as they cried out, "Look out!"

An explosive went off near Youko's stomach, nearly blew the kitsune in two, and made him fall to his knees. Hiei growled at the sight of his partner-in-crime holding a hand against the heavily bleeding wound, but hissed in pain when the blade of his own katana pierced his already injured shoulder, ripping the wound open further and damaging the nerves there.

"They're still alive?" Kaori gasped as she watched the brother-sister duo make their way over to them after landing on a mountain of skulls and human heads.

Yura flipped her hair with her hand and smirked evilly as she boasted, "We're immortal, you know." Foregoing her crimson comb, the hair witch used her hand to directed the sword at the injured demons, wanting nothing more than to sever their head so she could add that beautiful hair to her collection. But a sharp, jabbing pain in her chest stopped her. Looking over to the right, she spotted one of the girls, stabbing her precious item with an arrow.

"Kaori!" Kagome called out as she repeatedly drove the arrow-head into the red skull. "There strands of hair coming from his skull; they're connected to Yura's hand!"

The older sister grinned and started to praise her twin when she heard the angry cry the hair demon gave and quickly out her wakizashi out of its sheathe. Twisting on her heels, she easily stood in a defensive stance and blocked the katana Yura sent towards Kagome. With a dark tone to her voice, she said, "I'm not letting you harm my little sister."

Yura growled low in her throat. "I'll kill you!"

Before Yura could carry out her threat, Kagome raised the arrow high above her head and stabbed the crimson skull one last time, breaking through the hard surface. There was a bright flash of light as the younger twin drove the arrow in further, breaking a small red comb; similar to the one Yura held. The hair witch let out a gasp of pain as she fell back, her body faded away in glittering ashes, and only her clothes and the pouch containing the jewel shard was left behind. A soft fluttering sound was heard and the twins glanced over to see Karasu's cloak laying on the ground where he was once standing.

The twins let out a sigh of relief as the blade Yura stole from Hiei clattered to the ground. Kagome picked up a piece of the broken comb and tilted her head in confusion.

"So, they placed their souls into a comb." Hiei grunted as he held onto his injured shoulder. He moved over to the girls and picked up his katana and placed it back inside its sheathe.

Kaori picked up the other half, fiddling with it slightly and saw that along the arch it had a design of small skulls. "This little thing?"

Youko grimaced at the pull of his wounds, but still managed to explain what the item in question was. His knowledge of the artifact echoed through the girls' ears, "That is called the Adornment Comb of the Dead. It was once used to comb the hair of the of the dead and was most likely bewitched." he smirked at the confusion in the twins' eyes. "In the day and age, a bewitched comb or two is nothing." He winced slightly as a drop of blood slid down his face from his hairline.

Kagome rose to her feet and rushed over to the kitsune and helped him to his knees when he began to sway on his feet. "Youko, you're hurt."

Kaori knelt beside Hiei, concern shone bright in her greyish-blue eyes. "It is because you lowered your energy by giving us these roses."

The imiko tightened his hand over his wounded shoulder and gave the older twin a cold distant look. "This is nothing. Where is the shard?"

Kagome, once she was sure that Youko was not going to fall over, moved over to where Yura's clothing laid and picked up the burgundy pouch. Opening it, she pulled out the gleaming shard and sighed when she found it still intact. "I wonder how long it will take us to collect all the pieces?"

"Kaori." the apparition said as he rose to his feet.

"Kagome." Youko called out.

"Let's go."

The twins' eyes widened as a small gasp left their lips. "You called us by our names."

Hiei sneered and placed his hand on his sword. "So? What of it?"

Kaori smiled gently as her sister returned to her side. "Well..." she began and continued when Kagome joined her, their voices slightly overlapping, "Maybe you are being nicer to us?"

The imiko snorted as he showed the girls his back.

"You shouldn't get your hopes up like that." Youko said as he looked away from the twins. eyeing Hiei's wounded shoulder.

Before the kitsune could even try to move over to the forbidden child, Kaori was upon him, slapping her hand against his back. "Excuse me? And who just saved you?" She gasped when Hiei growled at her before he slumped back down to his knees.

Kagome looked at the dark-haired youkai with sympathy in her eyes before she turned to Youko, who had a reproachful look in his eyes. She smiled easily, making the kitsune slink back further. "Don't worry. I'm not as cruel as Kaori to tease an injured person." she laughed when the large ears on Youko's twitched at her words.

Kaori dropped to her knees beside Hiei. "If it hurts so much, tell someone! Don't just keep your pain to yourself, baka!"

Hiei hissed in pain as he shot the older girl a death glare. "I will kill you."

* * *

><p>A dark figure watched the small group gather up their things and prepared to leave the mock battlefield. He ran his finger over the silver mouth bit around his face as a low chuckle rumbled in his chest. His violet eyes twinkled when he saw the kitsune glare at the black cloak resting harmlessly on the ground. "So, they assumed that I had placed my soul into the comb along with my imouto's." he laughed deeply once more. "I will see you again soon, my kitsune. But first I must tell him that you and the forbidden child have awakened once more."<p>

* * *

><p>I've finally finished this chapter! I can't even tell you how hard it was to revise! I kept getting the fight all wrong, especially since I wanted to extend it and give it more length. But it turned out just how I wanted it! I hope you like it! I'm off to begin with the next revision! Laters!<p>

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: (see first chapter)

* * *

><p>One Jewel, Two Souls<p>

* * *

><p>Recap:<p>

_"Kaori." the apparition said as he rose to his feet._

_"Kagome." Youko called out._

_"Let's go."_

_The twins' eyes widened as a small gasp left their lips. "You called us by our names."_

_Hiei sneered and placed his hand on his sword. "So? What of it?"_

_Kaori smiled gently as her sister returned to her side. "Well..." she began and continued when Kagome joined her, their voices slightly overlapping, "Maybe you are being nicer to us?"_

_The imiko snorted as he showed the girls his back._

_"You shouldn't get your hopes up like that." Youko said as he looked away from the twins; he eyed Hiei's wounded shoulder._

_Before the kitsune could even try to move over to the forbidden child, Kaori was upon him, slapping her hand against his back. "Excuse me? And who just saved you?" She gasped when Hiei growled at her before he slumped back down to his knees._

_Kagome looked at the dark-haired youkai with sympathy in her eyes before she turned to Youko, who had a reproachful look in his eyes. She smiled easily, making the kitsune slink back further. "Don't worry. I'm not as cruel as Kaori to tease an injured person." she laughed when the large ears on Youko's twitched at her words._

_Kaori dropped to her knees beside Hiei. "If it hurts so much, tell someone! Don't just keep your pain to yourself, baka!"_

_Hiei hissed in pain as he shot the older girl a death glare. "I will kill you."_

* * *

><p>He was running for his life. Blood pooled in the wound across his chest. His heart raced, drumming loudly beneath his ribcage. Leaning against the wide trunk of a nearby tree, the boy tried to catch his breath and stop the bleeding at the same time. A low shuffle made the silvery-white Inu ears on his head twitch. "Fuck!" he cursed as he readied the claws of his right hand, blood dripped from the tips.<p>

"Inuyasha-sama!" a tiny voice called out as a small speck landed on his shoulder. "It's me! Myouga the Flea!" the almost microscopic demon jumped from foot to foot as he waved all four of his arms up and down.

The boy - Inuyasha - relaxed slightly as he let out a ragged breath and ran his hand through his thick hair. "Where is the bastard? Is he near?" his bright amber-colored eyes held a hint of fear.

"I'm right here..." a deep voice echoed through the air.

Inuyasha whipped around at the sound, his claws poised to attack at any moment's noticed. There he stood. Long silvery hair billowed in the wind along with the white attire that clothed his body. The Prussian blue mark of the crescent moon adorned his forehead as well as magenta marks of a daiyoukai. His cold, sharp, and calculating golden eyes locked with the boy's sun-kissed orbs.

"Otouto."

* * *

><p>Kaori grunted as she finally managed to push the large yellow backpack over the lip of the well. She then bent at the waist to grab hold of Kagome's hand and pulled her sister to her feet. After her twin settled herself on her feet, Kaori grimaced at the giant bag and at how much she knew it weighed. She nearly toppled over twice trying to support the heavy pack.<p>

"Mou..." Kaori gripped as she grabbed one of the straps. "What all did Mama pack in this thing? It weighs a ton!"

Kagome sighed as she took hold of the other strap and together they carried the bag to the village. "Well, Mama insisted that we needed all this." she smiled as she remember the short conversation that they had.

_Nodoka smiled as she waved her daughters off. Her baby girls were finally growing up. She was terrified at first learning that her babies wanted to go back in time to recollect the shards of a broken jewel. But she soon relented when they explained that it was their fault it broke in the first place. Turning to go in the kitchen to prepare lunch, a small white box caught her eye. "They forgot this!" Grabbing the box, the matriarch of the house ran out the door after her daughters. "Girls, wait!"_

_Kagome paused in her action of opening the Well Shrine door and looked over her shoulder. "What is it, Mama? We have to hurry back. We're already late."_

"_Here." She cradled the first aid kit in her hands and smiled gently. "Didn't you say that your friends were hurt real bad?" Nodoka continued when her girls nodded slowly. "Well, why don't you use this to clean their wounds so they won't get infected."_

_The twins looked gratefully at their mother before pulling her into a group hug. They squeezed Nodoka tightly and slowly released her. Kaori took the kit from their mother with an appreciated smile. "Thanks Mama." they said before giving her one more hug and slipped inside the Well Shrine._

_Nodoka watched her daughters grab hands and jumped inside the Dry Well. She watched the magic of the Well light up in a pretty array of blue and pink light before walking over it. Looking down, she found it empty and sighed sadly. "Be safe, my twins."_

They smiled at the memory of the kind and considering look in their mother's eyes as she handed Kaori the first aid kit so that they could treat Youko and Hiei's wounds. "Mama is such a kind and caring woman." Kagome said.

Kaori nodded in agreement. "We are so lucky to call her "Mama." She grabbed her sister's hand and they walked to Ren's hut. The older sister lifted a brow when she saw that their two demon companions were nowhere in the vicinity. After setting the heavy bag down and fishing out the first aid kit, she turned to Kagome. "Looks like were going youkai hunting." she giggled slightly and looped her arm with her sister's.

The twins wandered around the entire village twice before finally deciding to scout out the edge of the forest. The two demons seemed to enjoy being in the wilderness better that being in the village. The girls looked high and low, but could find no signs of Youko or Hiei anywhere.

"Where did those demons run off to?" Kaori questioned.

Kagome grinned suddenly and pointed over to a nearby tree. Although carefully hidden in the shadows of the leaves, the younger sister could still make out the long silvery tail that was wagging gently from side to side. "Found them! There over there."

Kaori praised her sister for her achievement and took her hand, running over to where the two youkai were hiding. "Hey!" she called up. "We know you're up there. Come down so we can dress your wounds."

Youko cracked open a single eye as he yawned lazily. He peered down at the girls below, taking note that they were no longer wearing that short green kimono - a sailor fuku they called it, if he remembered correctly - but a tight dark blue haori and a lighter blue pair of hakama that showed their long slender legs. "You wish to tend to our wounds?"

Kagome blushed under his scrutiny of their clothing and subconsciously pulled her skirt down lower in the back. "Yes. So, come down so that we can."

Hiei glared at them out of the corner of his eye. "I don't need it, Onna."

Kaori jaw twitched in anger as her eyes slid closed. _'Back to calling me 'onna.'_ "Look, we were there. You're both are seriously injured because of us. You can at least let us dress your injuries so they won't get infected."

The younger twin clasped her hands together in a plea as she stared up at the kitsune with large stormy blue eyes. "Youko, stop being difficult and come down."

"I'm fine." the kitsune closed his eye and turned away from the twins.

Hiei growled. "Onna, let's get one thing straight." he snapped, his almond-shaped eyes narrowed with obvious signs of annoyance. "I don't require anything from you."

Kagome sighed at the arrogant attitude the two demons were exerting and looked over at her twin with hard greyish-blue eyes. Kaori nodded and together they took a deep breath,

"Tsuke, Youko."

"Hiei, Fuse."

The rosaries around the youkai's necks flashed brightly as the incantation invoked and the weight of the beads tripled to an unbearable amount, forcing the demons out of the tree. They growled venomously and shot the girls a glare at promised certain demise, "What the hell?"

Kaori bent down and rested on her knees and placed the medical kit down next to her before returning the glare back to Hiei. "I just will take a look, okay?"

Kagome opened the box and pulled out a roll of bandages. "Youko, remove your tunic for me so I can dress the wounds on your torso."

* * *

><p>Ren smiled as she walked through the village with three children who had come to help her pick medicinal herbs for her wounded shoulder. She turned her warm brown eye down at a child that asked if her wound was better yet. "Aye, child." she said, her voice strong as she patted her injured arm, "It is doing much better."<p>

Another ran ahead and placed his slim arms behind his head as he walked backwards. "Are all the pieces of the Shikon no Tama going to found soon?"

The old priestess sighed tiredly as she raised her head to the sun, basking in its warmth. "Aye, but ye needn't to worry." she shook her head from side to side. "It would help is Kurama and Jaganshi would get along with Kagome and Kaori."

The last child looked over in the distance and giggled slyly as she pointed a finger. "But they do like each other."

Ren glanced over in the direction the child was pointing in and did a double take as her brown eye widened to its fullest extent. The sight she that greeted her shocked the old priestess. The girls had straddled across the demons' chests, tugging at their clothing. Youko, being the full-blooded kitsune he was, teased the younger girl into blushing by saying that he would gladly remove his tunic if Kagome agreed to take hers off first. The younger sister blushed profusely before growling that he knew the real reason she needed him to remove his top. The imiko was growling up at the older girl, demanding that she get off of him. Kaori snapped at him that she would after he took of his cloak.

"Do not look." Ren ordered as she moved in front of the children, who tried to peek. She shooed them away before approaching the group and coughed behind her hand to gain their attention. "I was mistaken. Ye get along more fondly than I had thought."

Kagome, understanding the old woman's words, turned a darker shade of red and jumped off of Youko. "It's not like that!" she squeaked.

Hiei took advantage of the distraction and pushed Kaori off of him with an annoyed growl. "Onna, I thought you were smarter than this." he reached for the left shoulder of his cloak, "My body is much different from that of yours," and threw the black covering off. He wore a pale blue undershirt underneath, but what caught Kaori's attention the most was that there were no traces of the horrible shoulder would he had last night.

Kagome had the same look of surprise on her face when Youko lifted his tunic to show that the deep wound on his torso was gone. She also noticed that even the wound that took a bloody chunk out of his shoulder healed over already. How could she have not noticed that? "It's already been healed?"

Youko lowered his top and started to fix the neck of it. "I told you that I was fine." he smirked. "And you went through all that just to see?"

The younger girl blushed and was sorely tempted to say the incantation that would send him face first into the ground, but Ren's words stopped her.

"I figured as much. Not even a scar from such horrible wounds." the elderly woman commented.

"Don't group us with you frail humans." Hiei said lowly, his voice having a slight edge.

Kaori watched the imiko as he crouched down to pick up his fallen cloak, worry still visible in her grey-tinted blue eyes. _'I was so worried about his wound that I forgotten that he and Youko were youkai. They can heal faster than me or Kagome.'_

The kitsune suddenly hissed in pain when a small sucking sound drifted up to his ears. Looking down the neck of his tunic, Youko spotted a small flea. The flea pulled its tube-shaped mouth out of the wound it created and lifted two of its four arms in greeting. Youko rolled his eyes as he smacked the creäture with his open palm. "If it isn't Myouga the Flea?"

Hiei narrowed his eyes at the tiny demon as it floated from Youko's palm to the ground. "What do you want, vermin?"

"Greetings, Youko-sama and Hiei-sama! I wanted to tell you..." a gush a poisonous air blew over Myouga causing him to fall over, twitching slightly.

All eyes went over to Kagome who was crouching next to the tiny youkai with a can in her hands. "What?" she questioned as she hid the insecticide behind her back.

* * *

><p>Youko arched a delicate silver brow as he listened to the end of Myouga's tale. "So, Sesshoumaru is after his younger brother?"<p>

Myouga nodded dejectedly as he let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, and I fear for the young master's life."

Hiei smiled cruelly as he mocked the tiny flea youkai, his carmine eyes glowing with mirth. "Let me guess. You came to us with hopes that we would help the hanyou?" he snorted when Myouga nodded once more.

"Hanyou?" the girls echoed from their seat next to Ren before giving the elderly woman a questioning look.

"A hanyou is a being born between a ningen and a youkai. They are scorned by both for their mixed blood. Even more so than an imiko such as Jaganshi." The old miko said as the poked at the hot coal to keep them lit with fire. She ignored the hate-filled look Hiei gave her and merely waved him away.

Kagome's eyes took on a saddened gleam as she thought about how badly Hiei seemed to had been treated for him to want to become a thief. "How horrible." she turned a pleading gaze to Youko, her hands clasped together. "We have to help him."

"The hanyou is none of our concern." Hiei stated firmly. "And you still need to finish gathering the shards of the Shikon." He gave Kagome a pointed glare.

Kaori narrowed her eyes as she reached over and smacked the apparition on the back of his head. She returned the annoyed glare that he gave her back at him as she said, "We are going to help him, Hiei." the older sister pointed to the white beads carefully hidden by his scarf, "Don't make me say it!"

Myouga looked over at the twins gratefully when the stubborn demons merely looked away with a cross look on their faces.

Youko groaned in defeat as he turned to his partner. "I suppose that we should help the whelp. Look on the bright side, Hiei. We may get to finish our fight with Sesshoumaru."

The imiko merely smirked as he nodded his head in agreement.

-0-0-0

Inuyasha quickly ducked to the left, cowering behind a tree just as an acidic green whip lashed out at him. He dipped his claws into the wound torn through his shoulder, coated them with blood and waited. A fist collided with his left cheek and sent him flying from his hiding spot.

Sesshoumaru shook his head slowly. "Slow as ever, Otouto. You will ever be able to defeat me with your dirty blood."

The hanyou rubbed his swollen cheek and winced at the pain that shot down him already aching body. "That was a cheap shit, Sesshoumaru!" _'But he's right. If only I were a full-blooded youkai. Why did the Shikon no Tama have to disappear and reappear only to shatter and scatter around the land?'_

The full Inu raised two fingers, the tips of his claws glowing a bright acidic green and lashed them at Inuyasha. The whip struck the boy in the chest and knocked him to the ground. Not even giving the halfling a second to catch his breath, Sesshoumaru was upon the younger man. Raising his hand, a green poison began to emit from the claws. "You haven't met my Dokkaso yet?"

An arrow streaked through the air, a blue light trailing after it and struck the ground beside the two Inu. The fact that someone had the audacity to fire at him, stunned Sesshoumaru long enough for Inuyasha to shove his brother off of him.

"You leave him alone!" two voices shouted.

Inuyasha took his eyes off his brother for only a second to see who interrupted their battle to find that it was two young women. Both of them wore indecently short, light blue kimonos that showed off their long pale legs. One was holding a bow, most likely the one who shot the arrow that led to his escape, while the other was brandishing a wakizashi.

Sesshoumaru turned cold eyes on the twins, his voice rumbling towards them. "Who are you?"

The girls flinched under his piercing gaze before stuttering out, "W-why should we tell you?!"

"Don't even try to pick a fight with him, you foolish girls!" Youko's voice called out to the twins.

Sesshoumaru removed his golden eyes from the intimidated greyish-blue eyes of the girl and locked them with another pair of golden orbs, then a pair of crimson ones. "Youko Kurama and Jaganshi Hiei, what an unpleasant surprise." The steady flow of poison from his claws slowed until it stopped completely.

Youko smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest and moved in front of the girls in an almost protective way. "It's always good to see you, too, Sesshoumaru." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Golden eyes narrowed at the kitsune. "Know your place, Fox." the Inu turned to the shorter demon. "Hiei, I had expected the Fox to couple with a ningen, but I expected better from you."

Hiei merely looked at Sesshoumaru with an expressionless mask, his eyes narrowed slightly and a warning growl rumbling in his chest.

Kaori frowned and stomped her foot while pointing a finger. "Hey! You overgrown fuzzball! Don't just start a conversation about us when we're standing right here!"

The full Inu snapped his eyes back over to the girls. "You. You, two, never answered my question. Who are you?"

The elder sister bristled under his stare as she took a step back but still kept a firm stance in front of Kagome. "I don't have to answer to you!" She let out a shriek when he was suddenly in front of them, so close that they could practically feel the heat from his body.

"Know your place. I am superior to you."

Kagome moved closer to her sister, shooting her a small glare. _'Good job, Kaori! Now he's going to kill us!'_

"Sesshoumaru, kisama, your fight is with me!" Inuyasha called out, his body already in a defensive position to ward off the inevitable attack.

The full Inu rushed over to his little brother and grabbed him by the throat. "Yes, I almost forgot about you." He lifted the hanyou into the air with just a single arm. "I suppose I should take you to visit Chichi-ue's grave with me."

Inuyasha grabbed the magenta-striped wrist holding him up, his sun-kissed eyes narrowed in a glare. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Myouga bounced around on Hiei's shoulder. "Hiei-sama! Youko-sama! You mustn't let Sesshoumaru-sama gain access to the tomb!"

Hiei growled and glared at the Flea, his eyes showed his distaste of the creäture. "Mind tell me why you are here and not with the hanyou?"

The flea youkai stopped bouncing mid-jump as his round face paled. Landing back on his feet, he cleared his throat. "Well...you see..." He took off at an abnormal speed, a cloud of dust trailed after him.

"Damned vermin." the imiko growled.

"Hiei, leave him be." Youko said before he brushed his fingers through his waterfall of silver hair and pulled out a seed.

Sesshoumaru lifted two fingers, the sharp tips gleaming in the moonlight and sent them into Inuyasha's right eye. He ignored his brother yelps of pain and eased his fingers in deeper until he touched something. Slowly he withdrew his, now bloodied, fingers. Clutched between the tips was a small black gem. Sesshoumaru let out a little chuckle, "So, Chichi-ue hid his tomb in this black pearl, which was deep within your right eye?" He dropped the hanyou to the ground.

Inuyasha cupped his hand over his bleeding eye as he used his other hand to swipe at his brother. "What the hell, temee?!"

The full Inu ignored the halfling as he scouted the surroundings. "Jaken!"

A green kappa youkai, who had bulging yellow eyes and was carrying a two-headed staff, ran out from the underbrush. He approached the tall silver-haired Inu and presented the staff. "Sesshoumaru-sama, the Staff of Two Heads."

Sesshoumaru took the staff away from the kappa and smiled as he let the pearl fall from his fingers to the ground. "Finally." He raised the staff high above the gem before he stabbed it and the head of the man began to cackle. White swirls of light shot out from the black jewel and surrounding the lord of the western lands. Jaken commented on why the old man laughed and said that the tomb will open. A large black vortex came into shape above where the gem sat and the Inu stepped inside, quickly flanked by the kappa demon.

Once they were gone, Kaori rushed over to where the hanyou laid and took a handkerchief out of her skirt pocket and dabbed at the blood that dribbled down his face. "Are you okay?" Her voice was sincere and kind as she continued to wipe at the fluid on his cheek.

A faint blush decorated Inuyasha's cheeks before he slapped her hand away and lifted his nose at her. "Keh. It's none of your concern, Wench."

Kaori's jaw twitched in anger. Why could these stupid demons not even try to learn her name? She absolutely hated being called anything other than her given name. Her mother named her Higurashi Kaori! "My name is Kaori! Call me anything else and your brother will be the least of your worries!" She growled out, her hand balled up in a tight fist. "Now from what I heard from Myouga-jijii, that man or youkai, whatever that overgrown fuzzball is, isn't supposed to get whatever is in that tomb. Now get your butt in gear and go after him!"

The half Inu blinked at the girl's declaration. _'What is this girl?'_

"Hanyou, I suggest that you do as the onna says. She is quite persistent." the imiko's voice drifted through the air.

Inuyasha glanced over at the apparition. "Hiei?" He nodded as he amber-colored eyes grew hard. "Right." He rose to his feet and walked over to the gaping vortex. Before entered, the hanyou turned his eyes on the elder twin. "Kaori, was it? I have a few questions for you. Can you wait here?"

Kaori tilted her head in confusion before nodding slowly. "If we aren't here, come to the village just to the east of here." She pointed to direction of the village.

The hanyou inclined his head forward. "Good." With that said, he stepped into the vortex, vanished after his brother. As soon as Inuyasha disappeared, the hold grew smaller until it was just a faint glimmering circle in the air.

The elder sister sighed as the blush she'd been holding since she saw the silvery haired boy broke through. It spread over the bridge of her nose and left her feeling weak-kneed as Kaori leaned against a nearby tree. Fanning herself with her right hand, she placed her left hand over her fast beating heart. _'Oh wow! He was so cute!'_

Kagome noticed the posture she sister was in and gained a sneaky look as she began to tease. "Aw! Kaori has a crush on Inuyasha!"

"Shut up!" That snapped Kaori out of her daze. "I do not!"

Hiei tensed as he felt a twang of something akin to jealousy grip his chest before he snuffed it out. He had no sort of feelings for that onna. He had no reason to get jealous over her having a liking to the hanyou. She was not Kaede! _'Why should I care if the onna likes that hanyou? It is none of my concern.'_

* * *

><p>"Onna, we have been here for more than enough time. It is time to go back to the village." The imiko stated with his arms crossed as he looked down at the woman, who barely reached his chin.<p>

Kaori gave Hiei a pointed glare as she, too, crossed her arms over her chest. "I am not leaving, yet. Inuyasha asked me to wait here. You can go."

Hiei growled at the girl, his almond-shaped eyes narrowed into a sharp look that made the contours of his face even tighter along his temples. "And leave you to stumble your way back to village like last time?" He smirked at the expression that fell on her face as he reminded her of the time she first met him. "I won't be around to guide you back if I were to leave."

"Shut up! Don't make me say the 'word!'" Kaori huffed.

Kagome sighed. They've been arguing like that for about twenty minutes now. The younger twin swore that if she did not know any better, she'd think that Hiei like getting a rile out of her sister. Kaori did have a quick temper and when anger enough is strong enough to take out the entire boy's Judo team back at their school. Kagome turned to look at Youko for any suggestions, but the kitsune merely shrugged his shoulders.

Suddenly the faint glimmering circle expanded back into the black vortex and a glowing white ball of energy shot out of hole and flew to the west. A sly smirk tilted at Youko's face as a small chuckle left his lips. "Sesshoumaru must have gotten beaten pretty badly for him to use that method of escape."

Kaori scanned the area. "But where is Inuyasha?"

As if answering her questioned, the hanyou stepped out of the portal with a broad, proud and smug smile on his lips. The black hole then shrunk until it was back to its original form, the ebony-colored pearl, and fell back into Inuyasha's right eye. He had many wounds decorating his body including dozens of bite marks around his neck and torso. The wounds were all sizzling like they were burning the flesh off his body.

The elder sister rushed over to him and assessed his wounds, completely unaware of Hiei's low growls. "Are you alright?"

Inuyasha raised his right hand and rubbed it against his eye. "Yeah, I feel just fine. Now, my Oyaji can rest in peace."

Kagome noticed the sword strapped to his hip and pointed at it. "Is that what your brother was after?"

The halfling smiled smugly and placed a clawed hand down on the hilt of the sword. "Yep, this is Tessaiga!" He pulled the blade out of the sheath and the sword transformed into a fang-like weapon. Swinging the sword in a small arc, Inuyasha cut down a large oak tree.

Kaori giggled at his antics. The hanyou was acting like a child with a new toy. "Well, let's head back to the village." She hooked her wakizashi through the loop in her skirt. "Kagome and I will treat your wounds." Together the twins walked back to the village.

Hiei snarled low in his chest when he noticed that the hanyou's eyes practically glued to Kaori's backside, which swayed back and forth almost seductively. His hand itched to grab for his katana, but stopped when Youko placed a restricting hand on his shoulder.

_Why are you acting so possessive over that girl? Do you truly see Kaede in her? _ He asked through their mental link.

Hiei shook the kitsune's hand off his shoulder and walked away. He did not even bother to answer Youko's question. The fox felt angry that the shorter youkai ignored his question and was about to voice it out loud when Kagome told them to hurry up.

* * *

><p>Hiei ripped through the rice paper door and walked inside the hut, a snarl marring the handsome contours of his face. He immediately claimed his spot on the back wall and leaned back against it, the air around him spiked in temperature. Kagome entered soon after, setting the large yellow bag down, and fanned herself before sitting close to the door. She had just finished helping her sister clean and dress Inuyasha's wounds. Youko came in and sat down near Hiei, but somewhat closer to Kagome as if he were avoiding the scowling imiko.<p>

Ren turned around and noticed that they were short one person. "Where is Kaori?"

Kagome opened her mouth to answer the old woman's question, but Hiei beat her to it. "She is out there with the hanyou." he said irritably.

The younger twin glance over at the imiko and saw the waves of agitation rolling off him, the cause of the heat in the small hut. She tilted her head in confusion. _'He says that he doesn't like nor care for Kaori, and yet he is acting like this because she may like Inuyasha?'_ "Ne, Hiei, what's wrong?"

Hiei cut his ruby eyes over to Kagome and glared at her. "Nothing."

"Are you sure?" She tilted her head. "You've been acting like this since Inuyasha came."

Youko glanced down at the girl to his right. _'What is she doing?'_

The imiko narrowed his eyes sharply as his voice was dark and sinister. "If you continue to pester me, I will remove your precious voice box."

Kagome swallowed dryly. _'Okay. Leaving the irate youkai alone!'_

* * *

><p>Kaori walked through the Forbidden Forest with the Inu hanyou by her side until the reached the center of the forest where the Goshinboku stood proudly, small white flowers were starting bloom on the branches. "Okay, Inuyasha. What did you want to ask me?" she turned around to look at the halfling.<p>

Inuyasha stuffed his hands into the red sleeves of his haori. "First off, I want to know how the hell do you know Youko and Hiei. Those two have never associated with humans." His bright amber eyes glowed with an unknown emotion. While he did think that this small woman was pretty, his demon pride would not allow him to admit it out loud.

The elder sister had to bite her tongue to stop the angry retort from flying past her lips. Settling for a sharp glare and cocking her hip out while crossing her arms, Kaori said, "Well, if you must know, my sister and I released them from a seal they were under."

"Keh!" The hanyou scoffed. "Like I'll believe that! They are too strong for anyone to place them under a spell."

Kaori glowered at him. Even if he was cute with those fuzzy little ears on his head, this guy was being a major jerk! "It's true! Over fifty years ago the twin miko, Kikyou and Kaede, sealed them to the Goshinboku in the Forbidden Forest!" She slapped her hand against the grand tree behind her. "In this very forest to this very tree! Kagome and I are supposedly their reincarnations!"

"Wait." Inuyasha's ears perked up at the hearing the names of the famous priestesses. "You said Kikyou and Kaede. didn't you?"

"Yeah? What of it?" She tilted her head to the side.

The Inu hanyou took a step closer to the young woman, his eyes lighting up slightly. "They held an artifact called the Shikon no Tama. Do you know what happened to it?"

Kaori blinked, her body fell out of its irate stance as confusion settled in place. Why did he want to know what happened to the jewel? Did he want to blame her and Kagome for it shattering? Hardening her eyes, she bit out, "We broke the damned thing. All we have is a single shard of it."

A cold smirk crossed Inuyasha's handsome, boyish face as his ears flattened against his skull and his claws flexed slightly. "That's all I needed to hear." he said lowly as a chuckled left the confines of his throat.

"What do you..." Her sentence cut off by a loud scream when the hanyou suddenly attacked her. His claws were inches from her face when she ducked to the left. Kaori bit her lip sharply to keep from crying out in pain when the sharp tips clipped her shoulder and tore through her flesh. Blood dripped down her arm as she placed her hand over the wound and glared at the Inu. "What are you doing?!"

Inuyasha flicked his wrist, the blood that covered his claws splattered on the ground. He raised his hand to his face and grinned. "I need the Shikon to grant my wish from me to become a full-blooded youkai." He bent his knees, ready to charge at the terrified girl. "Where are you hiding that Shikon Shard?"

Kaori reached for her wakizashi only to realize that she had put in her bag when she was dressing Inuyasha's wounds. _'Damn it! Kagome took the bag with her back to Ren-san's hut.'_ The warning bells in her head went off and she dropped to the ground and rolled out-of-the-way to avoid Inuyasha's attack. _'Somebody, please help!'_

* * *

><p>'<em>Somebody, please help!'<em>

Hiei snapped his eyes open. "What the hell?" he cursed as he looked at the other occupants of the small hut. Where did that voice come from? He only had a mental link with the fox. Unless? He rose to his feet.

Kagome stood along with him, a worried expression on her face. "Hiei, what's the matter?"

The imiko said nothing as he ran out the hut. Youko stood and placed his hand on Kagome's shoulder. He waited for her to look up at him before speaking. "I suspect that we should follow."

The younger sister nodded her head and went to grab her bow and quiver of arrows as well as Kaori's wakizashi. Once she had the items in hand, she rushed out of the room after Hiei, silently gripping about how fast the dark-haired demon was going. The kitsune and elderly miko looked at each other before following in suit.

* * *

><p>Kaori ducked and dodged another one of Inuyasha's attacks; she winced when the tip of his claws scratched her cheek. Turning around to run away, she shrieked when she came face to face with his cold, smirking face. "Why are you doing this?" she took a step back.<p>

Inuyasha grinned as he took a step forward each time she took one back until he had Kaori pinned against the hard surface of the grand Goshinboku. "I've told you my reasons. Now, hand over the jewel sharp." He slammed his hand beside her head, almost cracking the truck of the tree.

The elder sister flinched. "I-I don't have it!"

The hanyou searched her grey tinted blue eyes as well as breathing in her clean scent of water lilies for any signs of deceit; they bother proved that she was telling the truth. She did not have the jewel on her person. "You're not lying. Then who has it!"

"I'm not tell you that!" she snapped, eyes burning with anger with an underlying hint of fear.

Inuyasha took her chin in his fingers and roughly jerked it up. The swift movement caused her neck to pop uncomfortably and she voiced her uncomfort in a small whine. He stared into her eyes with his glowing amber ones as he said in a steely voice. "You will tell me or I will make you suffer."

Kaori kept her lips sealed tightly as she glared at him defiantly. She was not able to put her younger sister in danger just to save her own life. Without Kagome, Kaori would not feel complete. Her sister was her other half and they've been together since birth. She closed her eyes when Inuyasha growled and raised his claws; Kaori sent a small prayer to Kami. Her eyes popped opened as she felt the halfling's weight being thrown off of her. Kaori gasped as she saw Hiei holding Inuyasha against a tree, his sword held tightly at the silver-haired hanyou's throat.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now?" Hiei growled darkly.

Inuyasha did not say anything because the imiko pressed the blade of his sword deeper into his flesh. A tiny trail of blood trickled down his throat. Kaori, happy to see that someone came to help her, ran over and wrapped her arms around Hiei's neck; she hugged him tightly.

"Hiei! You came for me!" Kaori squeezed him tighter, her breasts pressing against his back.

The imiko stiffened at the contact and had to resist turning around to feel the softness of her chest pressed against him fully. He took a slow break and kept his grip tight on his katana. "Onna, release me."

Kaori merely held him even closer to her as she nuzzled her cheek into his back. It was not until she heard her sister calling out her name did she snap out of her daze. She immediately let go of Hiei and stepped back. Kaori laughed nervously as

Kagome ran towards her. "Hey, Kags."

Kagome looked over her sister and gasped at the bleeding wounds on her shoulder and cheek. "Kao, you're bleeding." She turned a pointed glare at Inuyasha and was about to give him a piece of her mind when she felt the immense heat that flared around Hiei.

"It is time that I erased your existence from this world, Hanyou." Hiei raised his sword, blood flowed freely from the wound he created on Inuyasha's neck.

Seeing the fear in the halfling's topaz eyes, Kaori objected. She rushed over and grabbed the imiko's wrist just as he began to swing down; she managed to stop him just before the blade decapitated the hanyou. "No!" she screamed. "Don't kill him!"

Hiei glared at her from the corner of his eye and tried to wrench his arm free from her tight grip. "What?" he questioned, "Are you in denial, Onna? He was trying to kill you."

Kaori racked her brain for something. Anything that would save the hanyou's life from this merciless fate that Hiei would bestow upon him. "Uhm...Hiei, Inuyasha didn't mean to hurt me. He had tripped and fell against me. That's when his claws cut me."

Kagome looked at her sister and knew that she was lying. It was something that each of them could know. It was a twin thing, they had guessed. "Kaori, what are you?" she stopped her question then Kaori sent her a pleading look.

The elder sister turned her greyish blue eyes on Inuyasha. "Isn't that right"

Inuyasha managed to breathe out a reply before he slumped down to the ground, his bangs concealing his eyes. When Kaori called out his name, he did not respond. Inuyasha was unconscious.

"See, now let him go, Hiei!" The elder twin pulled at his arm and slowly moved it away from the hanyou's neck. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. She did not want Inuyasha's death to be because of her.

The imiko knew she was lying. Her scent was drowned in it. But seeing the tear in her eyes made something in his chest tighten and he relented. "Fine." He shook her hands off and removed his katana from Inuyasha's throat. Flicking his wrist, he shook the blood off the blade before sheathing it.

Kaori looked at him gratefully and smiled. "Thank you." Turning to Ren with a hard look on her face, she asked, "Ren-san, do you have any more of those rosaries?" A wicked smile tilted at her lips. "I want to put one on Inuyasha before he comes to."

Ren nodded her head as she reached inside the folds of her haori. She pulled out a dark purple rosaries that had white fangs intermixed and handed it to the older sister. Kaori then placed the beads around the hanyou's neck before looking at Kagome with an evil gleam in her eyes.

"Okay, the trigger word." She took her sister's hand in hers and squeezed. "Why don't we share control over this one?"

Kagome grinned wickedly and nodded. Her sister sure did get over that small crush fast. Tapping her finger against her chin, she said, "Sure, but what should the word be?"

Two sets of ashen blue eyes fell on the fluffy Inu ears on top of the boy's head and they flashed each other another grin. Together they said the one word that Inuyasha will hate for the rest of his time with the twins. "Oswari!"

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as I enjoyed rewriting it. I'm happy with the progress the changes are making and I'm really letting all my characters stand out. Inuyasha will be really fun to write and If anyone has read my previous version of this story you all know that my favorite little prankster is coming up really soon! I can't wait to start working on it! Laters!<p>

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: (See first chapter)

* * *

><p>One Jewel, Two Souls<p>

* * *

><p><em>Recap:<em>

"_It is time that I erased your existence from this world, Hanyou." Hiei raised his sword, blood flowed freely from the wound he created on Inuyasha's neck._

_Seeing the fear in the halfling's topaz eyes, Kaori objected. She rushed over and grabbed the imiko's wrist just as he began to swing down; she managed to stop him just before the blade decapitated the hanyou. "No!" she screamed. "Don't kill him!"_

_Hiei glared at her from the corner of his eye and tried to wrench his arm free from her tight grip. "What?" he questioned, "Are you in denial, Onna? He was trying to kill you."_

_Kaori racked her brain for something. Anything that would save the hanyou's life from this merciless fate that Hiei would bestow upon him. "Uhm...Hiei, Inuyasha didn't mean to hurt me. He had tripped and fell against me. That's when his claws cut me."_

_Kagome looked at her sister and knew that she was lying. It was something that each of them could know. It was a twin thing, they had guessed. "Kaori, what are you?" she stopped her question then Kaori sent her a pleading look._

_The elder sister turned her greyish blue eyes on Inuyasha. "Isn't that right"_

_Inuyasha managed to breathe out a reply before he slumped down onto the ground, his bangs concealing his eyes. When Kaori called out his name, he did not respond. Inuyasha was unconscious._

"_See, now let him go, Hiei!" The elder twin pulled at his arm and slowly moved it away from the hanyou's neck. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. She did not want Inuyasha's death to be because of her._

_The imiko knew she was lying. Her scent was drowned in it. But seeing the tear in her eyes made something in his chest tighten and he relented. "Fine." He shook her hands off and removed his katana from Inuyasha's throat. Flicking his wrist, he shook the blood off the blade before sheathing it. _

_Kaori looked at him gratefully and smiled. "Thank you." Turning to Ren with a hard look on her face, she asked, "Ren-san, do you have any more of those rosaries?" A wicked smile tilted at her lips. "I want to put one on Inuyasha before he comes to."_

_Ren nodded her head as she reached inside the folds of her haori. She pulled out a dark purple rosaries that had white fangs intermixed and handed it to the older sister. Kaori then placed the beads around the hanyou's neck before looking at Kagome with an evil gleam in her eyes. _

"_Okay, the trigger word." She took her sister's hand in hers and squeezed. "Why don't we share control over this one?"_

_Kagome grinned wickedly and nodded. Her sister sure did get over that small crush fast. Tapping her finger against her chin, she said, "Sure, but what should be the word?"_

_Two sets of ashen blue eyes fell on the fluffy Inu ears on top of the boy's head and they flashed each other another grin. Together they said the one word that Inuyasha will hate for the rest of his time with the twins. "Osuwari!"_

* * *

><p>Inuyasha growled low in his throat as he pulled at the dark violet beads around his neck. He wanted nothing more than to have those damned things off of him, but they merely flashed an angry red when he tried to force them off. The hanyou had been trying for the last five days to remove the rosary from his neck, but has made no type of progress. He turned a pointed glare at the two young women of the group. "Remove them, dammit!"<p>

Kaori ignored him as she asked her sister to pass her something out of the bag.

"Oi! I'm talking to you!" the halfling jumped to his feet.

Kagome reached inside the yellow back and pulled out a bottle of water and small tea kettle. After pouring the contents of the bottle in the silver kettle, she set it on the metal stand over the fire and started the timer.

"Oi!"

Kaori took the kettle off the fire when it began to whistle, opened a small cup, and poured the steaming water inside before setting it down.

"Oi! I know you can hear me!" Inuyasha growled, stalking over to the females.

The blue timer went off, the buzzing sounds shocking the youkai of the group slightly, and Kaori smiled.

Inuyasha stomped over to the girls, his hand raised in an attempt to whack them over the head. "Oi! Answer me!" A delicious scent drifted up to his nose and the little ears on his head tilted back in pleasure as his stomach shuddered with hunger. "What's that smell?"

Kagome handed the hanyou a cup with a small smile before picking up another one and handed it to Youko, who raised a curious brow. "It's Ramen. Try it." she gave him a pair of chopsticks and showed him how to eat the noodles.

Kaori walked over to the nearby tree and spotted the dark-haired youkai lounging on one of the branches. Cupping her hand over her mouth, she called out to the imiko, "Hiei, come down and eat."

Hiei cracked open a single carmine-colored eye, looking down at the female below him. Shifting over and his back, he said, "Hn. Keep it. I don't require any."

The older twin pouted, her greyish eyes showing her disdain. _'Just when I thought we could be friends.'_ Strengthening her resolve, Kaori continued, "Come on, please? I brought ice cream?"

That caught the forbidden child's attention as he opened both eyes and stared down at the girl. "What is this 'Ice Cream' you speak of?"

Kagome giggled behind her hand as she walked over to the tree where Hiei was perched, a small carton of Rocky Road ice cream in her hands. "Ice cream is basically sweetened frozen milk. It's really delicious." She placed the carton on Kaori's hands and walked back over to Youko and handed him some strawberry flavored ice cream before giving Inuyasha plain vanilla. She had saved a carton of chocolate and cookies & cream for Kaori and herself.

Kaori had glared at Kagome for giving away their hidden stash of ice cream to everyone, but smiled slightly when Hiei jumped out of the tree and took the carton out of her hands. He inspected the box, sniffing it. He was pleased by the sweet scent of chocolate, some kind of nuts, and confection sugar. Opening the carton, Hiei used his finger to swipe of the contents into his mouth. Coldness seeped into his body, but the sweet and pleasant taste of chocolate made up for it.

"Sweet snow." He whispered before jumping back into the tree, his treat in hand.

The elder sister merely shook her head and walked back over to the fire pit. "I don't understand why he won't eat down here with us."

Youko lowered his chopstick, the pink sweet dripped from the tips. "Don't even try, Kaori. He will not come."

Inuyasha, having finished his meal and had dots of ice cream smeared over his face, stood to his feet with his fists balled up tightly. "Oi! Wench, I told you to remove these damned beads!" The poor hanyou should have heeded Kaori's warning about calling her or her sister out of their names.

"Osuwari!" Kagome snapped. Just like her sister, the younger twin loathed being called anything other than her given name. Youko had learned that the hard way a few days ago when she nearly broke his back with the subjugation beads. It took a lot to invoke Kagome's wrath as she was not as quick-tempered as Kaori, but when she was you better watch out. Her grey tinted eyes gleamed with satisfaction when hanyou slammed down into the grassy field with enough force to leave a small Inuyasha-shaped crater. "Will you please shut up already?! We heard you the first damned time!"

The inu hanyou pulled himself out of the hole and looked at Kagome with reproachful eyes before scoffing, "Keh!" and shoving his hands into the red sleeves of his hi nezumi robe, turning his nose up at her. He cut his eyes to the sky when it suddenly darkened and he ran over to stand protectively in front of Kaori and her sister as his hand reached for Tessaiga.

Kagome blinked as her eyes quickly adjusted to the sudden darkness and tilted her head to the side. "Why did it get dark suddenly?" She grabbed Kaori's hand when a cyan-colored vortex appeared in the sky in front of them.

A child-like voice boomed loudly across the field. "You five! You possess shards of the Shikon Jewel!"

Kaori cut her eyes over to the large yellow bag sitting just a few feet from them. _'How does he know that? Can he sense the shards like Kagome and I can?' _She recalled the events that had transpired in the past couple of days. They encountered a young warrior who was trying to rescue a princess that he had fallen in love with. It had turned out that the lord of the castle, the princess' husband, was possessed by a gama demon that had a shard of the Jewel. With the help of Inuyasha, they managed to defeat the toad and retrieve the shard.

Inuyasha growled low in his throat as his hand tightened around the hilt of his blade. "How the hell did you figure that out?"

Kagome tugged on her sister's hand, pulling her further back from the cyan vortex. "Is it a youkai?" she asked.

Youko sighed and sat his carton of ice cream down before rising to his feet. "No. This is merely Kitsune-bi."

Kaori looked back at the silver fox with a confused expression. "Kitsune-bi? What's that?"

The vortex caved in on itself and shrunk into a smaller circle. Soon a small 'POP' was heard and large pink bubble-like creäture with large eyes and a gaping mouth in place of the glowing vortex. The pink bubble floated over to the hanyou, "Hand them over or perish," and bit him on the head.

Inuyasha felt a blood vessel in his temple throb with anger and he scratched his cheek briefly before violently slapping the bubble away from him. It flew up in the air like it was losing air until it crashed into the ground. A small 'POP' was heard as the bubble was covered in a white smoke and a little kid with bright auburn hair and glowing turquoise eyes appeared when the dust cleared.

"Itai!" he whined as he rubbed his swollen cheek. "That really hurt!" He raised his brightly colored eyes at the hanyou and glared. "How dare you, you heathen!" He saw the vein in Inuyasha's temple throb once more and scampered to his feet to run away, but the halfling caught him by his fluffy blond tail.

Inuyasha grinned evilly as he raised the child up in the air to his eye level. "What are you? A takuni?"

The child bared his tiny fangs and growled at the hanyou. But, it sounded more like a pissed off hiss than an intimidating growl.

Hiei jumped from his perch in the tree and walked over to the group. "He's a kitsune, you incompetent fool."

Kaori smiled when she saw the smear of chocolate around the corners of Hiei's lips and handed him a napkin. She giggled at his irate expression before saying, "So, he's the same as Youko?"

Kagome cooed at the child. "Aw, he's so cute." she walked up behind Inuyasha with her arms stretched out. "Can I hold him?"

"The hell are you lining up behind me for?" the halfling snapped out, his fangs poking out over his bottom lip. Suddenly, he was dragged down to the ground by a stone statue with large googly eyes and a red scarf around its neck. "What the?"

"A Jizo statue?" Kagome eyed the stone structure sitting on Inuyasha's hands. She turned to say something to her sister when she noticed that something was tossing things out of their bag. "Hey! Kaori, I think that kid is going through our things!"

Kaori turned around and ran over to the yellow pack and saw that the kid was indeed digging through their belongings. She yelled out indignantly when she saw a pair of her and Kagome's clothes being thrown on the ground. That was her favorite red sweater he just gotten dirty! "Why you little..." she trailed off with her fist clenched tightly.

The little kitsune popped out of the bag with a victorious smile plastered over his face. "I found it!" he raised the vial housing the two shards. "They're mine!" He flinched when a large shadow casted over him and he turned around. His large turquoise eyes widened at the silver-haired kitsune hovering over him. "Youko Kurama!" he shouted with glee and admiration.

Youko narrowed his eyes. "You know of me?"

"Yes!" the child nodded animatedly as he stepped away from the yellow bag. "You're the greatest thief ever! The King of Thieves! I look up to you greatly." He swept down into a deep bow, "You inspired me to be just like you!" With that said, he released his kitsune-bi and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kaori grabbed her sweater off the ground and grimaced at the grass stain on the front of it. "Youko, you let him get away with our jewel shards!"

The spirit fox had to resist the urge to roll his eyes and pointed at a skull that was slowly crawling away, a bushy blond tail pointing from the back of it.

Inuyasha, finally freeing himself from the Jizo statue with the help of Kaori's sister (he did not bother to remember her name), felt his need for revenge spike as he scowled. Approaching the skull with his fist clenched tightly, he struck down hard.

* * *

><p>"My name is Shippou." the red-haired kitsune introduced, his arms crossed, eyes closed, and a pout on his face.<p>

Kagome dug around in the bag and pulled out a bottle of antibiotic spray and spritzed some of the contents of the large swollen bump in the center of Shippou's head. She turned a pointed glare at the cause of the child's wound. "You didn't have to hit him that hard, Inuyasha!" She was sorely tempted to say the incantation that would leave him laying in a crater for even daring to strike a child like that.

"Keh!"

The younger sister's urge rose even further and opened her mouth to say the word, but stopped when Kaori placed her hand on her shoulder. The elder twin shook her head and pointed at Shippou who was looking a bit irritated that Kagome had stopped spraying the soothing medicine on his bump. Laughing sheepishly, Kagome resumed her task at cleaning his injury.

Kaori sighed before tilting her head at Shippou, "Why were you after the Shikon no Tama?"

"To..." his voice cracked with emotion, "To avenge my Otou." Shippou raised determined turquoise eyes and stared at Kaori.

Inuyasha scoffed under his breath and reached inside the folds of his haori, "So, you wanted to use the power of the jewel?" He returned the glare he was receiving from the twins when he pulled out the vial holding the jewel shards.

Shippou turned his nose up at that hanyou and crossed his arms over his chest. "Hah!" he boasted, "I'm strong even without the jewel shards!" He flashed a cheeky grin up at Youko.

"Osuwari!" the twins screamed as Kaori finally managed to snatch the shards away from Inuyasha, causing the hanyou to slam down into the ground.

"Were you, three, even listening?" the little kitsune asked in an irritated voice.

Kagome's eyes soften considerably when she turned around to look at Shippou. "Oh, we're so sorry, Shippou-chan. Please continue."

Kaori nodded as she placed the vial in her shirt pocket and offered the kit a small smile.

Inuyasha scoffed as he pulled himself out of the hole he created, "Keh!" and shoved his hands into the sleeves of his haori, turning his nose up at Shippou.

* * *

><p>Two opposing troops lined the field, awaiting their commanders' order for the to attack. They shouted snide comments to one another, goading them to take the first blow that would lead to a senseless slaughter and death. Suddenly a large dark cloud drifted over them, lightning flashing eerily. At first the warriors ignored it, but when the rumbling noise got closer and closer, one man gazed up at the darkening sky.<p>

"What's with that cloud?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes at it.

Lightning flashed again and two youkai emerged from the bolt of light. One of the demons had a humanoid like body with darkly tanned skin, bright red eyes, and long black hair tied in a whip like braid. The other had a reptilian body, beady black eyes, a retreating hairline, and a small black ponytail at the back of his large head.

"Ready to hunt, Manten?" the humanoid youkai questioned as he raised a pike that had a curved blade at the end.

"Aye, Hiten-An-chan!" the reptilian demon answered as he crossed his hands in his lap.

Hiten grinned evilly as he felt the pike in his hands heat up with his youki. The blade began to glow a bright white-blue color as he yelled out, "Raigekijin!" A large streak of blue lightning shot out of the pike and crashed into the ground of the troops on the left side, annihilating the lot of them as they burned.

The other soldiers watched with wide eyes. "Allies?"

Manten, hearing the voices of the other warriors, glared down at them as he cackled, "Us? Allies of you puny humans? Don't make me laugh!" He opened his mouth, revealing rows of jagged sharp teeth and yellow lightning spewed, struck the other troops, and killed them.

Hiten merely smirked down at the massacre he and his brother just created, the flaming wheels at his heels keeping him up in the sky. He rested his Raigekijin against his shoulder as he turned to say, "Well, that was fun. Eh, Manten?"

The reptilian youkai reached into his breastplate and pulled out a small comb and stroked it through the three strands of hair on top of his balding head. "It sure was, An-chan."

"I have so much power left!" Hiten boasted as he plopped down on the large grey cloud that kept his brother in the air and kicked his feet up. "The power of these Shikon Shards are real!" He slammed his right fist into the palm of his left hand. "Let's go look for more!"

Manten grinned, his sharp teeth gleaming even in the darkness of the sky. "I'll say. We'll look high and low for beasts, like this kitsune, who have Shikon fragments and kill them!" He caressed the soft fur of the kitsune pelt around his waist.

Hiten and Manten tilted their heads back and cackled evilly as they flew off. The sky slowly beginning the lighten back up as they passed.

* * *

><p>Kagome walked close to Youko since Shippou was sitting on the elder kitsune's shoulder as she said, "So, Shippou-chan, you said that your otou-san had a shard of the Shikon."<p>

A saddened gleam entered the kit's large eyes as he nodded grimly. He tightened his tiny hands into tight fists; his claws piercing his palms, but Shippou welcomed the pain. "Those two go around killing all who posses fragments."

Youko glanced at the kit with narrowed golden eyes. "Those two?" he inquired with an arch of a silver brow.

"The Raijuu Kyoudai." Shippou answered.

Inuyasha leapt out of the tree he was in and landed next to Kaori; either he also ignored Hiei's quiet growls or did not hear them. "Raijuu Kyoudai?"

Hiei appeared on Kaori's other side and he beat down the urge to pull her away from the hanyou and closer to him. Why in the hell was he reacting in such a way? Surely his subconscious did not see this weak and pathetic girl as Kaede? If so, then why was the fox not reacting like he was? Perhaps it was because he sorely had the other girl's attention? A scowl made its way to his lips as the name finally drifted through his mind. "The Raijuu Kyoudai. Hiten and Manten. Those barbaric brothers would be after the jewel."

The hanyou smiled egotistically as he raised his fist in the air. "If they have jewel shards then I can just defeat them and take their fragments!"

Shippou scoffed and rolled his eyes and jumped off of Youko's shoulder and onto the large backpack strapped to Kagome. "You won't be able to take them on. You are just a hanyou." He leaned over and sniffed the air around Inuyasha and reared his head back in mock disgust, covering his nose with his hand. "I can smell the human in you. A hanyou like him should stay out of youkai affairs, right Youko-sama!" Shippou beamed up at the spirit fox.

Kagome gave the kit a reprimanding look. "Shippou-chan, that wasn't very nice to-"

Inuyasha swiftly moved over to where Shippou was and whacked him on the head, causing the kit to fall off his seat on the bag. Shippou gripped his throbbing skull and glared at Inuyasha. That only earned him several more hits to the head as the hanyou crouched down to get better access. The halfling was enjoying his torture on the little fox and prepared to do more damage with his punches when Hiei's voice called out to him.

"Hanyou, you may want to stop." the imiko said with a smug smirk on his face.

A dark aura surrounded the twins was they walked up behind the halfling. "Inuyasha..." they said darkly. The girls watched with sick amusement as the hanyou stopped hitting Shippou and flinched at the sound of their voices. "Osuwari!"

Shippou grinned at the large crater that Inuyasha left behind and began laughing. "Serves him right!" He stuck his tongue out at the hanyou and jumped back onto Youko's shoulder for better protection.

"You were partly to blame as well, Kit." Youko scolded, his eyes narrowed in a fatherly reprimanding way.

The small kitsune pouted at the tone the older fox spoke to him with. He was only stating the truth. Hanyou were an abomination and had no right to be in youkai affairs. "But, Youko-sama..." he began with a whine in his voice. Shippou frowned at the stern look that received him. "Fine!" he hopped from his perch and dug around in his haori. Finding what he wanted, he placed it in Youko's hands, "A present!" the Jizo statue grew in size and Shippou slapped a paper charm on it.

Youko gave an annoyed look. He let his defenses down because Shippou was merely a child and was not much of a threat. "Kit, remove the charm immediately."

Shippou danced away from the older kitsune with a large smile on his face. "I got the great Youko Kurama!" He turned to the females of the group and smiled uneasily. The younger one was so kind to him and she even sprayed medicine on his wounds. "I really hate playing tricks on women, especially ones as nice as you." He jumped up into the air, "So, sleep for a while," and struck the back of their necks.

The girls swayed for a bit before Kagome reached out and grabbed Shippou out of the air before he could land back on his feet. Kaori gave him a look that said that she was both annoyed and hurt that Shippou would even think to do something like that to them. That had hurt! Shippou gulped and curled into a ball, unleashing his kitsune-bi to push Kagome away from him. He did a somersault and landed on his furry little feet.

"Tada!" He held up the vial with the shards. Somehow when he had struck Kaori on the back on the neck, Shippou managed to take the glass bottle out of her shirt pocket. "I can use these to lure the Raijuu Kyoudai!" As he turned to run away, the cold touch of a blade pressed against his throat. "Hiei!" he squeaked.

"Return the vial to the onna and remove the charm from the statue. Now." the forbidden child ordered icily as he pressed the blade of his katana in deeper, just a slight pressure against the kit's jugular vein. It was not meant to kill the child, but to scare him enough to give into Hiei's demands.

Shippou squeaked out a 'Yes sir' and hurriedly gave Kagome the jewel shards back and took the paper charm off of the Jizo statue. Once Youko rose to his feet, Shippou bowed deeply before the older kitsune. "Forgive me, Youko-sama. I only wished to avenge my Otou." He lowered his head in shame.

"Stand up, Kit." Youko said, his eyes locked on the groveling child. He was disappointed that the kit was down on his knees, Kitsune were supposed to be proud and take nothing for anyone. But Shippou was still a child and his father was probably taken from him before he was taught those things. Allowing a small smile to grace his face. "We will help you."

The twins and Shippou all shot the older kitsune a bright smile.

_Fox, where are you getting at?_ Hiei asked through their link.

Youko looked over at his partner-in-crime. _Obviously the Raijuu Kyoudai possess Shikon Shards and the plus side is that you can finally get even with the older brother, Hiten, for what he did._

The imiko's face turned sour as memories began to flood his mind. Ones that he truly wished to forget even transpired. Rage filled him to the core and he felt his right arm begin to throb as the bandages wound tightly around the width of it began to glow darkly underneath the sleeve of his cloak. Clenching his fist to constrict the flow of power, he answered, _Hn._

"Thank you, Youko-sama!" Shippou cried, a happy smile on his face and brightness in his turquoise eyes.

* * *

><p>Shippou sat out near a pond, staring at the reflection in the surface. He missed his father dearly and he had only been gone for a couple of days. The last the young kitsune had seen his father he was in his true form fighting off the Raijuu Kyoudai. Shippou did not even know what happened to his father's fur. Tears began to gather in his eyes and Shippou quickly wiped them away when he heard footsteps coming his way.<p>

"Shippou-chan." It was Kaori's voice. "What are you doing?"

The redhead fox looked up and blinked curiously. "Kaori, right? I didn't know anyone knew where I was."

Kaori simply gave him a small smile before kneeling down beside him. _'For Kagome's sake, I will watch over the little fox, but something is off. I can't place my finger on it.'_ She placed her hand on Shippou's head and ruffled his hair slightly. "Don't go too far off. Kagome will get worried about you."

Shippou rolled his eyes. He was a youkai and could take care of himself. Crouching down on all fours, he ran deeper into the grass and away from Kaori. He ignored her cries for him to not go any further until he bumped into something. And then Shippou saw him. One of the youkai that killed his otou!

Manten looked down when something had bumped into his leg and a wide grin spread over his face, "Oh? If it ain't the brat of the kitsune I killed." He slapped his large hand against the blond pelt wrapped around his waist. "Y'know your otou's fur is very warm."

Unable to contain his anger at seeing his father's fur being used in such a degrading way, Shippou lunged at the reptilian youkai. "How dare you do that to Otou!" He cringed at the fist that connected with his cheek and yelped out in pain when Manten stepped on his tail.

"Would you like to see him again?" His large mouth opened and his thunder breath began to sparkle in his mouth. He swallowed his attack when the sharp tip of a blade was thrust into his snout and violently ripped out. Blood squirted from the wound like a small geyser and Manten quickly covered it with his large hands.

Kari stepped back with an amazed look on her face. She had actually struck with her wakizashi. Sure she was first dan in her Kendo class, but that was with a shinai not a real weapon. Kaori snapped out of her daze when she saw the reptilian youkai reach out for Shippou, who was trying to crawl over to her, and she flicked her wrist. "Touch him and I'll carve up your forehead!"

* * *

><p>Hiei cracked open a single eye and looked down at the small campfire that Kagome was building. "Onna."<p>

Kagome sighed. She knew that since only Kaori had control over the imiko, there was nothing she could do except correct him each time he called her out of her name. Looking up at the tree, she said, "It's Kagome. What do you want?"

"Where is your sister? I can no longer sense her presence." he rose to his feet.

The younger twin looked around. Where did Kaori run off to? Usually she would announce when she was going somewhere. This was unlike Kaori. Kagome began to panic. What if something happened to her sister and she was not there to help her? What if she was captured by those evil Raijuu Kyoudai that killed Shippou's father? What if?

"She followed after that little kitsune brat a few minutes ago." Inuyasha said as he moved to dig through the yellow bag. His stomach was rumbling and he wanted to know if they had anymore of those ninja snacks the girls brought.

Shippou was missing too? Something must have happened. Looking around to grab her bow and quiver, Kagome was stopped by Youko's voice.

The silver fox opened his eyes lazily. "Kagome, calm down. Hiei has gone after your sister. Nothing will happen to her."

Youko's word comforted Kagome. As long as Hiei was with Kaori, her sister should be safe from all harm. He would not let anything happen to her. Would he? "Kao, please come back safe." Kagome prayed.

* * *

><p>Shippou scampered to his feet as he ran over to where the older twin was and hid behind her leg. "Kaori!"<p>

Kaori allowed a small smile to grace her face as she looked down at the kit and said his name softly. Snapping her eyes back up to large demon in front of her, she tightened her grip on her wakizashi. "Move and I will kill you. How dare you attack an innocent kid!"

Manten growled low in his throat. "You little bitch!"

An vein in the elder sister's temple throbbed with anger. How dare he call her a bitch! "You stupid idiot! I told you that I'll kill you if you moved! That meant talking too!" She roared as she swung her wakizashi in a wide, yet a bit sloppy arc. Kaori frowned when she missed the spot where the Shikon Shards were embedded in his forehead, her blade barely grazing his scalp. She blinked when the monster suddenly froze as his hands flew to his head and he rubbed the spot where she nicked him. "What's up with him?" Kaori arched a brow at the youkai.

Manten whined as he continuously rubbed his scalp. Shock covered his face when he saw two of the three strands of his hair fall into his view. "My hair!" he cried as flashes lightning lit up the sky. Angry tears streamed down his face as he opened his mouth and it began to sparkle with his thunder breath.

Shippou's eyes widened. "Kaori!" he cried, pulling on her leg. "That's the attack that killed my father!" Jumping up, he grabbed her hand and began to drag her away.

Just as Manten released his attack, Kaori felt herself being swept off her feet and she quickly pulled Shippou into her lap, holding him close to her chest. She could not see who had saved her because of the brightness of the lightning-based attack temporarily blinded her, but she sent a silent thanks to whoever it was.

When the reptilian youkai ceased his attack, a wide grin covered his large mouth. "I struck them dead." He cackled lowly and began to clap his hands. Manten snapped his beady black eyes over his shoulder when he heard the sound of the tall grass moving.

Kaori slowly opened her eyes and looked up at her saviour. "Hiei!" she squeaked. "How did you know?"

Hiei spared the small woman in his arms a glance before he turned a hard glare on the raijuu youkai. "Manten."

"Hiei-chibi." Manten returned the glare he was being given.

The imiko growled at the insulting name. He absolutely loathed being called out on his height. Just because he was not above six feet like other demons did not give them the right to insult his height. His raw power made up for his lack in stature.

The reptilian demon grinned. He had gotten under that little runt's skin. "What are you doing here?" Manten questioned with a quirk of the brow. "Last I heard of you, you were sealed to a tree by a miko."

Hiei smirked coldly as he said, "Well, as you can see, I am no longer held prisoner by that seal." Remembering that he still held the girl in his arms, the imiko dropped Kaori on the ground.

"Ow!" She whined before turning a hate-filled glare up at the forbidden child. "That hurt, you insensitive bastard!" Kaori stood to her feet, holding Shippou in one arm as she dusted off the dirt from the back of her skirt. Once she had cleaned the dust off her dark red skirt, Kaori turned a small smile down at the kit in her arms. "It's okay, Shippou-chan. Hiei is here to help us."

"Onna."

Kaori's jaw twitched in anger but she glanced at him. "Hm?" she said with restraint.

Hiei flicked his eyes over at the young woman briefly. "Take the kit and go back to the campsite. Now."

When the elder twin was about to argue with him, saying that she could help him, the imiko shot her a look that was filled with coldness and hatred that Kaori could only gasp. Nodding her head quickly, she held Shippou closer to her chest and took off for the campsite.

Manten cackled, his belly trembling with the force of his laughter. "You don't want your wench to witness your demise?" His eyes followed Kaori's retreating form and he smiled perversely. "Maybe, after I kill you off, I'll take her for myself and An-chan. She is very cute and exotic looking."

Hiei gritted his teeth and shot the raijuu a pissed off look. "You touch her and I'll tear your disgusting hands off your body." He threw his long black cloak off his body and reached for his katana. Dark waves of youki began to emit from his body as memories began to flood his mind. Memories of what Manten and his brother did. Memories that made him want to kill that damned monster even more.

"Being so protective over her makes me want to take her from you even more, Hiei-chibi." Manten licked his lipless mouth before opening it wide. His thunder breath attack sparkled in his maw. "Raar! Time for you to die!" He released his attack, aiming for Hiei for a direct hit. Manten quickly ended his attack, shifted on his heel, and lifted his arm to block the strike from behind. He grinned. "I'd forgotten about you remarkable speed."

Hiei gritted his teeth before jumping back to avoid being punched in the ribs. Manten opened his mouth and unleashed his thunder breath once more. Using his speed, the imiko dodged the attack. Each time the lightning-based attack aimed at him, Hiei was in a different location; almost as if he were teleporting. Manten growled low in his throat and launched his attack again, this time an even bigger ball of lightning.

The imiko growled in pain when he miscalculated the distance between him and the thunder breath attack, and his left leg was burned. Hiei bit his lip to keep from yelling out as electricity surged through his body from wounded leg. He quickly somersaulted backwards to avoid several more of the yellow attacks, cringing in pain as he applied pressure to his wounds.

Manten drew in many deep breaths of air as he placed his hands on his knees. "Your speed wasn't enough to save you from your fate." he chortled, looking at the scrotched, bleeding wounds of Hiei's left arm and both legs. "With your legs injured like that, I doubt you'll be able to run away anymore."

Hiei blinked as he looked down at his wounds before smirking. "I guess being pinned to that damned tree for so long, I've gotten a bit slower." His smirk turned evil as he raised his katana and pointed it at Manten. "No matter. You won't live to tell anyone about it anyway."

The reptilian demon tilted his head back and cackled loudly. "You dare mock me!" His mouth began to sparkle with a new onslaught of lightning as his anger finally took control. "I'll kill you!"

The two youkai charged at one another and there was a blur of attacks. Flashes of light surrounded them and soon dust covered their forms. When the dust had cleared, Manten looked virtually uninjured, while Hiei now had a large burn that stretched from his right hip to his left shoulder. Placing a hand over his injury, the imiko turned to face the raijuu youkai with an amused smile on his face.

"What are you smiling about, Hiei-chibi?" Manten demanded. He had just inflicted a serious wound on the imiko's body. So what the hell was he so amused about?

Hiei's smile never left his lips as he flicked his katana, red fluid splattering out on the grass. "Nothing. Just at sheer stupidity at its finest."

"Argh! You cocky little bast-" He trailed off his insult when blood dripped down the center of his forehead, where his jewel shards were located, and his vision began to swim. Looking down he saw the top part of his body slowly slide from the bottom half. "Hiten-An-chan..." he groaned out as his body fell to pieces, his blood soaking the grass and stained it a bright red.

The imiko slowly sheathed his sword. Lazily, he raised his arm to his mouth and licked the blood off the wound. Hiei cut his eyes to a nearby tree and called out, "Come on out, Fox. I know that you are there."

Youko walked out of the shadows of a tall tree and looked down at the bloody body on the ground. Shaking his head slowly, he asked, "How many this time?"

"Sixteen." Hiei said simply as he reached for his cloak.

Youko stared at the various burn wounds on Hiei's body and his fingers twitched to tease the dark-haired demon just a bit. But Hiei must have sensed him staring and quickly placed his hand on the hilt of his katana and shot the kitsune a look that clearly said, 'Do it and die.' "That was more than half of what I could see." He looked at the imiko and was slightly disappointed to see that Hiei's dormant ice powers already healed his wounds. "Hiei, this question has been plaguing me for a while now: why are you so protective over Kaori all of a sudden?"

Hiei spared the spirit fox a glance before he tossed Youko something, pulled on his cloak on and walked off. "Who knows."

* * *

><p>"You just left the body there!" Kaori shrieked, the high pitch of her voice hurting the ears of the beings with youkai blood. "How the hell can you just leave the body of a Raijuu Kyoudai who, may I remind you, has TWO Shikon Jewel shards!" She vented all her anger and frustration out on the one person who rescued her from being killed. Right now, she did not give a damned that he had to power and strength to kill her. Kaori was too pissed off to even think about that. "And you just left him where anybody can find him!" She pointed her finger at Hiei, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "You! If you hadn't sent me away, I could have gotten the shards out of his head!"<p>

"Onna." Hiei said.

"Oh no!" Kaori yelled, stepping closer to him. "Don't you 'Onna' me!"

"Ano, Kaori?" Kagome tried to cut in and save the imiko from her sister's wrath.

Kaori flicked her eyes over to her younger sister. "No, Kagome. I'm sick and tired of his attitude!" She turned back to Hiei and mocked him. "Oooh, look at me. I'm Hiei; I have a sword and a badass attitude. I don't need help from anyone." She jabbed her finger into his chest several times. "Well, newsflash mister: Ren-san said that you do need our help and you're damn well going to accept it. Or should I remind you that without me or Kagome, you would still be pinned to the Goshinboku!"

Thoroughly irked, Hiei grabbed Kaori's wrist in a bone-crushing grip and pulled her closer to him. He longed realized that being so close to him will shut her up; either that or she would soon run out of energy to spat curses at him. It was the first one. Kaori gasped and quickly quieted her fusses as Hiei leaned in and said, "Onna, end your infuriating rambling. I know what I done. I did it for a reason."

Finding her voice, Kaori pushed the imiko away from her and yanked her wrist out of his loosening hold. She rubbed it tenderly as she cried, "What?"

Youko placed his hand on Hiei's shoulder. "Hiei left Manten's body, shards and all, out from his brother, Hiten to see."

Inuyasha's ears perked up at hearing the news. "The little runt left jewel shards?" he barked, glaring at Hiei with piercing amber eyes. "Why the hell did he do that!"

"Shut up, Inuyasha." Kagome hushed the hanyou with a firm look. "Let him talk."

The halfling lifted his nose up at the younger sister and shoved his hands in his sleeves. "Keh!"

"You see," Youko began, "Hiei has a terrible grudge against Hiten. Because Hiten-"

Hiei threw the kitsune's hand off his shoulder and gave him a look that held certain demise if he were to finish the sentence. In a low, angry voice, the imiko said, "Be quiet, Fox."

Kaori quickly chastised the dark-haired demon for his rudeness. "That was rude of you, Hiei. Let Youko finish what he was saying."

The imiko threw an icy glare at her, his eyes glowing with cold hatred. His voice was low and filled to the brim with anger as he spat, "It's none of your business, Onna."

Upon seeing the tense and frigid look in Hiei's eyes and hearing the coldness in his voice, Kaori took a few steps back. "I'm sorry, Hiei..." she said as she hung her head in shame. The elder sister did not mean to upset the imiko, he had just made her to infuriated when he informed him that while he had killed Manten, he left the jewel shard behind.

"Hn." Hiei said simply before leaping into a nearby tree, the darkness shadowing him from sight. But the faint violet glow signaled that the imiko's jagan eye was open and scouting their surroundings for any signs of imminent danger.

Youko gave Kaori a slightly sympathetic look. He knew how bad Hiei's emotions could get when this subject was brought up. But if the forbidden child did not want him to talk about it, then the kitsune will respect that. Turning on his heel, Youko jumped into a tree also.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed as he shoved his hands into his sleeves. "Serves you right for trying to peer into other people's business." He opened an eye when he felt a death glare on his being and flinched when he saw that it was coming from Kagome.

"Inuyasha, osuwari!"

Shippou rolled over in Kagome's sleeping back and scratched his tummy, yawning dreamily. "Baka..." he mumbled sleepily.

* * *

><p>Hiten growled low in his chest as he flew over the grassy plains not too far from the battlefield that he and Manten desecrated not too long ago. It was time for them to hunt for more jewel shards and he could not find that worthless pile of meat he called a brother. "Where did that fat lard go?" he snarled as he flew over a clear pond of water. "This is where he should be." Hiten paused in mid-air, his hand on his chin when a flash of red caught his attention. At first glance it looked like some type of low-level lizard demon had been killed, but as he got closer the sight made tears blur his vision.<p>

"MANTEN!" the tears streamed down Hiten's tanned cheeks as he flew down to his brother's body. He lifted Manten's heavy upper body and cradled it close to him. "My brother, who did this to you?"

"An-chan?"

Hiten looked up at the sound of his little brother weak voice and blinked. "Manten?"

Manten gave a weak smile, his black eyes crinkled at the edges as he reached up and wiped away the tears on his brother's face. "Why are you crying, An-chan?"

The elder Raijuu Kyoudai bared his fangs at the reptilian demon and smacked his hand away. "You stupid idiot! Why would you ask such a thing?"

"An-chan..." Manten whispered, giving another weak and tired smile.  
>"There is something that I must tell you." Blood began to gather in his mouth and he began to choke on it. "Hiei-chibi is alive and free."<p>

"Hiei?" Hiten blinked as sudden burst of rage filled his body. His bright red eyes darkened with hatred, "He did this to you?!"

Coughing up more blood, Manten nodded. He knew that his time in this world was coming to an end. He reached up and placed his hand on Hiten's armor. "An-chan, say a prayer for me. When I was to be reborn, I thought I'd want to be a fuzzy little caterpillar; with hair all over my body." He chuckled softly, blood spilling from his lips. "But I don't think I would enjoy that. When I'm reincarnated, even if I don't have any hair at all, I want to be born as your kid brother. Is that alright, An-chan?"

"Don't talk like that!" Hiten snapped, shaking his brother's body. "Manten? Manten!" He bit back another howl of anguish when Manten did not respond to anything that he did. Throwing his head back, Hiten roared out, "Manten!" Tears streamed down his face as he said, "My brother is dead!" He hugged his little brother head close. "Hiei, I'll fucking kill you!" Hiten looked down at Manten with watery eyes and gave a sad smile. "Rest assured, Manten, you will always be with your An-chan." He then embedded his fangs into the reptilian youkai's forehead, directly over the spot when Manten's shards were located.

Rolls of thunder shook the ground as lightning flashed brightly in the sky as Hiten rose to his feet. He tightened his fist over Raigekijin as his eyes began to glow and deep, bloody red. _'Hiei, you will pay for killing my beloved younger brother. I will teach you the pain of one losing his dear little brother.'_ Wisps of blue lightning swirled around his form as his flaming wheels lifted him back into the air.

* * *

><p>Shippou looked up at the darkening sky and snuggled closer to Kagome when thunder roared, quickly followed by a flash of lightning. He whimpered softly at the memory that entered his head. This was the exactly the same as when the Raijuu Kyoudai engaged with his father. "I-I think Hiten has found Manten." He hugged Kagome closer to him and found comfort in her scent. It reminded him of his mother.<p>

Kaori gazed up at the sky and moved away from the tree she was leaning against. "I suppose so. The thunder and lightning are going crazy." She ducked her head and cradled it in her arms.

Kagome sighed and set Shippou down on his feet near her sleeping bag and took a step towards her sister. She blinked when Inuyasha sudden jumped down from his branch in the tree and landed in front of her, blocking her path to Kaori.

"Why are you so down, Wench?" he knelt down next to her and purposely called her out of her name. Inuyasha did not like seeing that sad look on her face for some reason. The hanyou thought she looked a lot better when smiling or even angry. Anything was better than this. He braced himself for the inevitable "Osuwari" that Kaori would bestow upon him.

Kaori merely glanced up at the Inu hanyou and drew her knees to her chest. "It's nothing." She placed her head back down in the cradle of her arms. Flinching when someone placed their hand on her shoulder, Kaori looked back up. "Inuyasha, what is it?"

The hanyou's amber eyes did not have their usual cocky, hard expression as his face was placid; devoid of all and any emotions as he looked at the elder sister. "Kaori, it's not my right to tell you this. But the reason why Hiei has such a grudge against Hiten is that Hiei's twin sister was raped by Hiten and Manten."

The twins let out simultaneous gasps of horror, their faces twisted into shock and disgust. What kind of revolting creature would ever try to force themselves upon an innocent girl? It must have been a horrible experience for her. Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the ground close to the little campsite, scaring the twins. Kaori jumped and clung to the closest thing to her, which happened to be Inuyasha.

"Gyah!" The hanyou yelped, his face turning a bright shade of red. "Kaori! What are you doing?"

Kaori blinked as she looked up at Inuyasha's boyishly handsome face. A light flush tinted her cheeks pink as she instantly released her hold on him. Lifting her nose into the air and crossed her arms over her chest. "Lightning just flashed before my very eyes! Of course I'm going to jump and you were in my way." she huffed.

Kagome watched her twin's interaction with the halfling with an amused smile. _'He likes her.'_

Thunder clapped louder, closer, than before and Shippou jumped back into Kagome's arms and burrowed deeper into her chest. Looking up at the young woman with wide frightened eyes, he whispered, "Kagome?" the little kit waited for her give him her attention before continuing, "Where did Youko-sama and Hiei go?"

"I don't know, Shippou-chan." Kagome scouted out the trees around them, but could only find Inuyasha perched in one of them. There were no signs of Youko or Hiei anywhere. She could not even sense them with her newly developing priestess abilities. Turning to her sister, Kagome said, "Kaori, Youko and Hiei are gone!"

"What?" Kaori said as whipped her head around.

* * *

><p>So, how did you like this chapter? I really enjoyed rewriting it and making the fight scene between Manten and Hiei a little longer. But then I had remembered a crucial thing that will be needed in the next chapter, so I quickly added it in. Leave me a nice review about what you like andor did not like about this revision. Till next time!

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: (See first chapter)

* * *

><p>One Jewel, Two Souls<p>

* * *

><p><em>Recap:<em>

_The hanyou's amber eyes did not have their usual cocky, hard expression as his face was placid; devoid of all and any emotions as he looked at the elder sister. "Kaori, it's not my right to tell you this. But the reason why Hiei has such a grudge against Hiten is that Hiei's twin sister was raped by Hiten and Manten."_

_The twins let out simultaneous gasps of horror, their faces twisted into shock and disgust. What kind of revolting creäture would ever try to force themselves upon an innocent girl? It must have been a horrible experience for her. Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the ground close to the little campsite, scaring the twins. Kaori jumped and clung to the closest thing to her, which happened to be Inuyasha._

_"Gyah!" The hanyou yelped, his face turning a bright shade of red. "Kaori! What are you doing?"_

_Kaori blinked as she looked up at Inuyasha's boyishly handsome face. A light flush tinted her cheeks pink as she instantly released her hold on him. Lifting her nose into the air and crossed her arms over her chest. "Lightning just flashed before my very eyes! Of course I'm going to jump and you were in my way." she huffed._

_Kagome watched her twin's interaction with the halfling with an amused smile. 'He likes her.'_

_Thunder clapped louder, closer, than before and Shippou jumped back into Kagome's arms and burrowed deeper into her chest. Looking up at the young woman with wide frightened eyes, he whispered, "Kagome?" the little kit waited for her give him her attention before continuing, "Where did Youko-sama and Hiei go?"_

_"I don't know, Shippou-chan." Kagome scouted out the trees around them, but could only find Inuyasha perched in one of them. There were no signs of Youko or Hiei anywhere. She could not even sense them with her newly developing priestess abilities. Turning to her sister, Kagome said, "Kaori, Youko and Hiei are gone!"_

_"What?" Kaori said as whipped her head around._

* * *

><p>Bright ebony flames rose from the ground, swirling around the muscular frame of the demon that dared to summon them. They danced around his body for a few minutes as the youkai grit his teeth against the strain of trying to bend them to his will. The imiko fell to his knees, panting hard as the black fire dissipated from around his body. He hissed in pain as he clenched his right fist tightly. "Damn." he cursed before rising back to his feet. He ignored the throbbing of his arm as the white bandanna he wore across his forehead began to glow a faint purple as the ebony flames surged from the ground once more.<p>

Putting even more concentration into his command, the flames slowly took the form of a black dragon. The beige bandages wound tightly around his right arm unravelled and revealed the tattoo hidden beneath. The image began to shift until it peeled itself off his arm and merged with the flames and red swirled inside the dragon. The forbidden child smiled faintly before the throbbing in his arm turned into an intense burning. Cursing, the violet glow behind the bandanna faded and the Dragon disappeared.

"Hiei, you have trained for hours now. Don't you think that you should stop and take a break?"

The imiko shifted on his heels and spotted the silver kitsune that spoke walking out of the shadows of the forest. He narrowed his carmine eyes and clenched his fist tightly. "I cannot stop. Being pinned to that cursed tree for fifty years has made the Dragon forget that I am its master."

Youko sighed and swept his fingers through his hair and held out a blackish seed in the palm of his hand. "Then at least take this. It will help replenish your youki."

Hiei took the small kernel from the fox and swallowed it whole. "Hn."

"I suppose I should go back and check on the girls." Youko began, "I don't feel comfortable leaving them alone with the hanyou." he turned on his heels, silver hair flowing out like a waterfall behind him. When he was a safe distance from the imiko, his mischievous nature took over as a sly smile tilted at his lips. "Oh, Hiei, want me to tell Kaori anything? Seeing as you are so protective over her." He jumped into the closet tree to avoid the fireball that was aimed at him.

The imiko turned a hard glare at the tree that Youko was hiding in and dropped his hand upon the hilt of his sword. "Fox, if you enjoy having your head attached to your body, I suggest that you never speak of that again."

Youko merely chuckled quietly as he made his way back to the campsite.

* * *

><p>Kagome called out the names of their demon companions, walking around the small circle that was their campsite. She huffed when she had looked around the area three times and still did not get an answer back. "Where could those two have run off to?"<p>

Shippou shifted in the young woman's arms and grinned brightly up at her. "Knowing Youko-sama, he's probably doing a heist right now!" The admiration the little red fox held for the older kitsune was clearly seen on his face. Shippou greatly looked up to Youko. He was so happy that he had met him, but was sad at the same time that his father was not around to meet the great King of Thieves.

The twins gasped. They remembered when they had first met the little redhead. He had called Youko the King of Thieves. Straightening their faces out of the shocked expressions that overcame them, they girls gave Shippou a looked that said Youko would not do such a thing.

Kagome smiled gently down at the kit and said, "I'm sure that he is not doing anything like that."

Shippou huffed and crossed his small arms over his chest. "Yes, he would. Youko-sama is the greatest thief ever!" he rolled his eyes and shook his head slowly. "I thought you would know that, being his woman and all."

The younger priestess allowed the redhead's words to sink in. _'Youko's woman.'_ The two words repeated in her mind like as chant and a deep blush crept down her face to her neck as her heart pounded in her chest. "Shippou-chan!" she squeaked, "I am not Youko's woman!"

"Then why is your heart racing?" he tilted his head to the side. Shippou's keen hearing easily picked up the rapid beating of Kagome's heart. His turquoise eyes shined with curiosity. "And why are you worried about where he is?"

Kagome's face turned an even deeper shade of red as she tried to stammer out an answer. Luckily Inuyasha stepped in and grabbed the kit by his tail, dangling him at the hanyou's eyes level. "Oi, stop peering into the lives of adult!" the halfling snapped, his fangs bared at Shippou.

Shippou returned to look the hanyou was giving him and scoffed at him. "Hah!" he cried as he pointed a finger over at the older sister. "So says that guy pining after Hiei's woman!"

Kaori felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment from being up in the spotlight. "Shippou-chan!" she cried out indignantly, "Where did you get the idea that I'm Hiei's woman! I don't even like the guy!"

The redheaded kitsune looked up at Kaori with wide eyes before explaining, "You couldn't tell by the way he protected you from Manten? You may did not hear it, but Hiei threatened Manten if he even touched a single hair on your head."

"So what?" she countered. "I'm just a jewel detector to him. And if he didn't protect me there was no way that Kagome would even consider to help him or Youko without me."

Shippou tilted his head. Boy were these girls stubborn. They could not tell when a youkai protects a female it is because he cares deeply for her and sees her as a potential mate. Sighing and lifting his arms, he continued, "No, I meant his body stance, how he hovered over you and the way he held you close to him. Before he dropped you, every once of his aura screamed 'mine.'"

Kaori gaped. She did not even think about how close she was to Hiei when he rescued her. How she could feel his hard chest underneath her fingertips and the smell of his smoky scent. Her mouth opened and closed several times as a bright red blush highlighted her face. _'Hiei doesn't like me like that! Does he?'_

Inuyasha grit his teeth as he tightened his free hand into a fist and smacked it against Shippou's head. "Oi, ain't nobody Youko or Hiei's woman, runt!" He stole a glance over at the elder sister, a soft smile spreading over his lips as he took in her cute blushing face. _'Kaori will be mine and there is nothing that short bastard can do about it.'_ the hanyou dropped the kit back on the ground and walked away.

Shippou whined as his tiny claws gripped his head, tears forming in his eyes. He hissed in pain when a large bump began to swell where the halfling's fist had been. "You big jerk!" he cried. "I'm telling Youko-sama on you! And when he and Hiei get back there..." the kit trailed off as his turquoise eyes widened with fear.

Kagome followed the tiny fox's eyes and she gasped. "Ah, Inuyasha?" she moved closer to her sister.

"What!" the hanyou snapped. He turned on his heel and came face to face with a very angry raijuu youkai.

"That kit." Hiten hissed, his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "He said Hiei. Where the fuck is that bastard?!" Thunder clapped loudly as lightning struck the tree directly to the right if the girls, setting it ablaze.

* * *

><p>The Dragon of the Black Flames whirled through the air in a graceful way. Its magnificent body burned and scorched anything that came in contact with it. It twisted itself straight up in the air before plunging down. The Dragon struck its master, the heat not even bothering the imiko. Hiei's lips tilted up into a smug smile as his body absorbed the flames and the black mark of the Dragon wound around his arm. "Finally." he said as he reached for the bandages and began to process of restraining the beast. Even if the Dragon recognized him, that did not stop it from trying to escape.<p>

Thunder clapped loudly, almost causing to ground to tremble. It was quickly followed by a sharp crack of lightning. Hiei almost dismissed it, thinking that Hiten must have found Manten in pieces by the pond. The imiko made sure to not carve up the reptilian raijuu youkai's body too much; he left the majority of his upper body intact. But something was off; the thunder abounded much too loudly and the blue-white lightning flashed too brightly and way to close for it to be in the place where he left Manten. In fact, it was as if it had touched down to the ground a few kilometers away.

"Dammit!" Hiei cursed as he turned to run full speed back to the small campsite. He opened his mental link with Youko. _Fox, hurry back to campsite. Hiten is there._

_I know. I am going as fast as I can._

The imiko grit his teeth as he shut off the link and quickened his steps. _'The hanyou better protect them. After fifty years, I will not lose her a second time.' _He blinked at his thoughts. Why on Earth did his subconscious see that girl as Kaede? Kaori was nowhere near the pillar of beauty and strength that Kaede was. But he did have to admit, Hiei did admire her fiery temper and attitude.

* * *

><p>The twins flinched in fear and backed away from the burning tree. Their eyes widened when they saw the dark-haired demon take a threatening step towards them. The youkai's blazing red eyes narrowed into dangerous slits of rage and lightning swirled around his body. All in all, the demon looked terrifying!<p>

"I will only say this one more time: where the fuck is Hiei!" Thunder rolled loudly in the background as Hiten barked out his demand.

Kagome was the first to recover her voice as she reached for her sister's hand. "We don't know."

Kaori squeezed her twin's hand for comfort. "Even if we did, why would you tell you?" Her voice faltered when he turned those cold red eyes on her.

Hiten narrowed his eyes even further as he took in the young woman who had just spoken. Remembering that his brother said that Hiei rescued a young woman, he noted her looks. She had long wavy raven-colored hair, glittering greyish-blue eyes, and a nice body. But which one was the one that damned bastard saved? She and the other girl looked identical! _'Guess I'll take them both and see which on Hiei will come after.'_ He pulled his mouth up in a perverse smile, "If you don't I'd hate to do what I did to another woman Hiei held dear to him."

Kagome gasped, taking a few steps back. The raijuu must have been talking about what he did you Hiei's younger sister! That bastard intended to capture her sister and herself to do those unthinkable deeds with them! Sicko! "You have a twisted personality!" She blinked when her vision of Hiten was blocked by red.

Inuyasha took a defensive stance in front of the girls, effectively blocking them from Hiten's gaze. There was no chance in hell that he was going to let this prick touch a single hair on Kaori's head. He would not even get close enough to even try it. "I ain't gonna let you hurt them!" he snarled as he placed his hand on Tessaiga's hilt.

Hiten looked up at the hanyou dismissively. "And just what a hanyou like you can do about it?!"

He pulled Tessaiga out of its sheath, sparks of yellow youki surrounded the blade as it grew into its true form. The Fang. "This!" he charged with his sword held high above his head.

The raijuu smirked as he blocked the attack with his Raigekijin. "So you want me to make sport of you, huh?" He pressed back against Inuyasha, sparks flying off their connected blades as they tried to overpower one another. "I guess I'll use you as a warm-up until that bastard gets here!" Throwing the hanyou away from him, he used his flaming wheels to propel himself into the air.

"Do you know how many fools have told me that? Now, I dance upon their graves." Inuyasha anticipated the skydive Hiten was preparing for and raised Tessaiga to fend off the attack. What he was not expecting was the blue-white lightning that shot out of the blade of the pike. He grit his teeth as he shifted his weight to move his body away from the electricity.

Hiten grinned an absolutely evil smile. "I wonder how long you can withstand my lightning." As if by a silent command, the bolts intensified greatly and Inuyasha was unable to fend them off.

Upon seeing the lightning growing in power, Inuyasha quickly jumped back. But was not quite fast enough as the bolts traveled after him at a blinding speed. He flipped backwards and hid behind Tessaiga like a makeshift shield. The broad blade protected him from some of the blue-white light, but some still managed to burn at his hi nezumi robe. Tingles ran up and down his body from the electricity, but it was nothing too painful, just a mild throbbing sensation. _'Damn. I'm dead if I get hit by this lightning directly.'_

Shippou stood protectively in front of the twins. Even though his knees were knocking together from fear, he would protect these kind women with his life. They took him in, cared for him, and protected him. Now it was his turn to protect them from danger. "Stay back! Hiten's lightning attacks have gotten much stronger." His voice was shaky and squeaky, "He must have joined Manten's shards with his" _'Otou, forgive me. I may not be able to avenge you.' _Tears swelled in his eyes and he quickly blinked them away.

Kagome looked down at the tiny auburn-haired child and wanted nothing more than to gather him in her arms, protecting him from the dangers at hand. But Shippou was a youkai, a kitsune, and from what Youko has demonstrated it hurt their pride when the person they are defending protects them instead. "Shippou-chan."

"Inuyasha! You better not die!" Kaori yelled as she watched the hanyou narrowly avoid another streak of lightning.

Hiten paused in his attack, taking a quick look at the girl who spoke. "What are you? This hanyou's mate!" He smirked. If that girl was the halfling's then the other girl must belong to Hiei! Hiten moved to capture the other girl, who was looking down at the kit, when the girl spoke again.

Kaori blanched then a rosy blush spread from her hairline down to her chest as she realized what Hiten was referring to. "What?! No, I'm not his mate!"

"You leave her out of this, Hiten! Your fight is with me!" Inuyasha yelled as rose to his feet. He stole a quick glance over at Kaori and a warm feeling settled in his chest at the thought of her becoming his mate. Having her sweet smile for only his eyes to see.

Hiten raised his Raigekijin. "What the fuck are you looking away for!" He rushed forward and stuck the hanyou in the shoulder. He dug his blade in deeper and sliced down to the center of Inuyasha's chest where he released his lightning bolt attack. The halfling writhed in pain as the blue-white light circulated through his body.

"Inuyasha!" the twins screamed.

The hanyou flew back onto the ground, sliding through the dirt for a few feet. Tessaiga was knocked from his hands upon impact with the width of a large tree and Inuyasha winced in pain as shock waves of the lightning surged through him. He struggled to open his eyes and rise to his feet, but stopped when he felt to cool metal of Hiten's Raigekijin pressed against his neck.

"Hah!" the raijuu boasted. "You weren't much of a workout. I want more of a challenge!" An evil smirk tilted at his lips. "I'll kill you slowly until Hiei gets here." Turning his bright red eyes on the females, he said, "Watch as I tear your precious hanyou apart limb by limb. Then I'll come after you. We'll have fun. I promise."

The girls shuddered in fear at the innuendo the thunder demon gave. They wanted no participation in the type of "fun" he was referring to.

'_Damn! He's strong. But I must defeat him so that Kaori and her sister can be safe.'_ Inuyasha placed his hand on his wound, dipping his claws into his blood.

Shippou growled at the look Hiten was giving to the nice girls who took him in. He may be a child, but he understood what the raijuu meant. He wanted to do dishonorable things to Kagome and Kaori. Shippou would not allow that to happen. "You leave them alone!" he shouted with a slight edge to his voice.

"Shut up, runt!" Hiten snapped, turning on the kit. "Or I'll skin you alive, like we did your father, and make you into a hood for my dead brother!"

The young kitsune bristled at the threat and struggled to contain his anger as he shook violently.

The silvery Inu ears on the hanyou's head twitched upon hearing the twisted comment Hiten said to Shippou. Sure, Inuyasha was a jerk towards the little kit but, he did it in an older brother-like way. Rising to his feet, the halfling bit out, "You know, I'm not the nicest guy around, but you make me sick!" He flung his blood soaked hands towards Hiten and they hardened into bloody projectiles. "Hijin Kessou!"

Hiten looked taken aback for a split second, but quickly regained his posture as he knocked away the bloody projectiles with Raigekijin. "You're just full of surprises! Maybe you are worth being my opponent!"

As the raijuu was preoccupied by dodging his Hijin Kessou, Inuyasha nimbly moved over to where his Tessaiga was laying, picked it up, and threw it in Hiten's direction. But the thunder demon was expecting something like that and moved out of the path of the Fang.

"Where are you aiming, Fool?"

"Kaori, hold onto Tessaiga! It will protect you and your sister!" Inuyasha yelled out as he dashed around Hiten, trying to confuse him with his speed.

That only served to pissed the raijuu youkai off. How dare this hanyou worry over a woman during a battle to the death? It was unacceptable! "Still fucking worrying over those damned women! Then allow me to show you the pain of one losing a beloved little brother!" Lightning cracked in the sky and caused Hiten's eyes to glow an ominous red.

Kagome looked over at the rusted katana that laid embedded in the ground a few meters away near the small stream. She shook her head in disbelief, the younger twin could not believe that Inuyasha would sacrifice his only weapon to protect Kaori and herself. "Why did he throw us his sword?" she asked her sister, who merely shrugged her shoulders. "He can't possibly take him on by himself."

Shippou, wanting to be helpful, dashed off in the direction of the creek. "I'll give it back to him.

"Shippou-chan!" Kaori gasped. "Get back here!" She knew that if anything were to happen to the redheaded kitsune, her twin would be devastated.

"Kaori!" Kagome yelled as she reached out for her sister's arm. She was a second too late and her fingertips only brushed against her older sister's skin. "Kuso..." she cursed as she watched Inuyasha use the sheath for Tessaiga to block off Hiten's lightning attacks. Something seemed off about this fight. How was that the hanyou was not able to land a hit on the dark-haired demon, but Hiten managed to wound Inuyasha several times over. It was then she noticed the flaming wheels that kept the raijuu afloat. _'If Hiten didn't have the advantage of flight, Inuyasha will have a better chance at winning.'_

Looking around for her bow, she frowned when she spotted it a couple of meters away from here, near the tree that was struck by lightning. Giving Hiten a cautious glance, Kagome slowly dropped to her knees and crawled over to where her fallen weapons were. Once she had her bow in her hands, the weight of the curved wood comforting her, Kagome pulled an arrow out of her quiver and notched it in place, taking careful aim.

Inuyasha used the sheath to block another one of Hiten's attack, diving through the middle for a surprise attack. But Hiten saw through this plan and flew over the hanyou's head and stabbed him in the spine, sending a current of lightning into the halfling's body. Inuyasha fell to the ground, wincing in pain from the electricity that still flowed through his blood. Hiten speared Raigekijin through Inuyasha's stomach.

"You're wide open!" Hiten prepared to send the final blow that would end the hanyou's life. "Die!" He froze when the left side of his body suddenly dropped as the flaming wheel shattered. He cursed and focused on his right wheel to keep him in the air.

"Keh! Chance!" He removed the thunder pike from his stomach and kept his grip on the rod.

Hiten snarled at the half demon for daring to touch his weapon. "Fool, do you want to fucking die!" Lightning surged down the pike, engulfing Inuyasha in a blue-white light.

Inuyasha threw the sheath away from him, to free his right hand. "Screw this. I'm going to fight my way!" With those words spoke, the hanyou pulled on Raigekijin and slugged Hiten in the face. As his fist connected with the raijuu's face, he released his grip on the pike and sent Hiten flying. "Did you feel that one, you sick imbecile?!"

The dark-haired demon sat up, rubbing his swollen cheek. "You're the second person who was able to strike me in the face." His eyes darkened at the thought. "You won't get a second time like the first did." Lightning swirled around his body as he rose to his feet. Hiten lunged forward and struck down with Raigekijin only to be blocked by the sheath of Tessaiga. "That won't work anymore! It's time for you to die!" He placed more pressure on his blade and the sheath began to crack.

Kagome gasped. "If that sheath breaks, Inuyasha is done for! Kaori, hurry!" she instantly regretting her words when Hiten turned and spotted her sister.

Hiten glared at the young woman and the kitsune that was running over to the place where the hanyou's sword was. Opening his mouth, he allowed his brother's attack to flow from his lips. It struck the duo just as they reached Tessaiga and sent them flying into the air.

"NO! KAORI! SHIPPOU-CHAN!" Kagome screamed as she tried to run over to where her sister was, but bright blue flames stopped her from getting any closer. The attack had blew them away from Tessaiga and they landed a few meters from the small creek, fire dancing over their unmoving bodies.

"Shame." Hiten smirked. "It seems that the girl and the kit are dead." He put even more pressure down on his Raigekijin and caused the sheath to crack even further. "Now, it's time for you to die as well. Since those women looked alike, I'll take the living one as hostage."

If Kagome hear his comment, she did not show it as she continued to stare at the flame covered bodies of her twin. "My sister...my other half...Kaori-onee-san!" she wailed as tears fell down her cheeks in little rivulets. "Youko! Hiei! Where are you?! You're supposed to be here to protect us!"

"You fought well, Hanyou, almost as if you were a full youkai, but you let the safety of those women distract you." Hiten sneered.

Inuyasha spat out blood. "Piss off. I won't die until I kill you for harming Kaori!" Inuyasha fumed as his honey-colored eyes burned with anger.

Hiten's smug smirk quickly fell into a frown. How dare this insolent whelp threaten him? "Shut up and die!" he roared as he raised his Raigekijin up high and prepared to bring it down on the back of Inuyasha's neck. But a green, thorn covered vine wrapped around his wrist, constricting his movements. "What the fuck?" Hiten growled as he looked over his shoulder and found the wielder of the vine.

Youko stood his ground, his rose whip held tightly in his hands as he prevented the thunder demon from ending the hanyou's life. Hiei stood beside the kitsune, his face twisted in a look of pure hatred as his carmine eyes blazed with a burning fire.

The raijuu returned to look with just as much anger as he spat out venomously, "Hiei."

Kagome looked up and blinked back her tears as she saw the regal form of the silver kitsune and his dark-haired companion. "Youko! Hiei!" she leapt to her feet and ran over to Youko. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she cried into his chest. "Kaori is...my sister is..." she choked up before sobbing.

Youko patted her back gently as he hushed her. "Kagome, calm down and speak clearly."

She sniffled before nodded and rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. "Kaori and Shippou-chan are gone." Kagome pointed a finger at Hiten and screamed, "That monster took my sister from me!"

Hiei's eyes widened just a fraction of an inch at the young woman's declaration. "You say that Kaori is dead?" The shock from hearing those words made him slip and he said the elder girl's name.

Kagome gave another choked out sob as she pointed to the blue flames that engulfed her sister and Shippou's bodies.

Youko sensed the imiko's anger, grabbed Kagome around the waist and pulled her up in a nearby tree with him. Black fire shot out from the ground and began to swirl around Hiei's body. The white bandanna that he usually wore securely around his forehead was burned off by the intense heat that emitted from Hiei's body, revealing the jagan. The imiko pulled the strip that held the beige bandages around his right arm together and they unraveled. Slowly the dark, black tattoo peeled itself off and merged with the ebony flames. The Dragon coiled around its master, ready to please and serve.

"Hiten." Hiei hissed, his voice dark and cold. "I'm going to kill you now. Ensatsu Kokuryuuha!"

Thrusting his arm out at his opponent, the Dragon obliged, rushing forward at such speeds that Hiten was barely able to dodge. Unfortunately for Hiten, the Dragon twisted around for a second attack, which caught the raijuu on the left side. The thunder demon had to bite his lip sharply to keep from crying out as blood poured from his severed arm. His red eyes widened when he saw the Dragon come in for a third attack and he narrowly dodged it, but the attack did managed to break his last flaming wheel.

Hiten fell to the ground, yelping out in pain when he landed on his injured arm. "How did you get this strong? The last time we fought you did not have this much power!" He growled as he tightened his grip on Raigekijin. Hiten narrowed his eyes when the Dragon circled around him, but made no move to attack.

Lifting its mighty fiery head, the Dragon allowed its master to walk towards the fallen raijuu. It quickly coiled his body back around them once Hiei was in front of Hiten. Red and red clashed as the two glared at one another before the imiko spoke. "Because you harmed what I am meant to protect." Faster than what the eye can see, Hiei unsheathed his katana and brought it down upon the Raijuu Kyoudai, splitting him down the middle.

'_I'm sorry, Manten. I've failed you. This imiko has killed both of us.'_ Hiten's blood splattered out and hit Hiei's face as his body was slowly burned to ashes.

The Dragon, sensing that its job is done, flew up in the sky and plunged down on its master. The mark of the Dragon wound itself around Hiei's right arm and the imiko quickly wrapped it up with the bandages. The jagan closed itself since there was nothing to protect it from the harsh winds that blew dust everywhere. Five glittering Shikon Shard fell to the ground where Hiten's body once laid, but Hiei ignored them. Youko stepped up behind the forbidden one and placed his hand on Hiei's shoulder, which he immediately shrugged off.

"Hiei, there's something you need to see." The kitsune looked over his shoulder, pointing delicately.

The imiko shifted on his heel. "What?" He bit out harshly. His almond-shaped eyes widened for the second time that day as he spotted the hanyou carrying Kaori in his arms, the little kitsune wrapped up in a ball on her chest.

Inuyasha took his wrist in his fingers softly, searching for signs of a pulse. "She's fine. The little fox brat must have used his kitsune-bi to protect them from the blast." He rested her lower body on the ground and supported her head and shoulders on his lap, ignoring the low growls from Hiei.

Kagome rushed over to them as soon as the halfling set her sister down. She quickly pulled Kaori out of Inuyasha's lap and into hers and hugged her closely. "Kaori! You're okay! Thank God!"

Slowly, Kaori's eyelids fluttered open and her eyes locked with a pair of concerned golden orbs. She smiled faintly before those pretty amber eyes clouded back over with indifference. "Inuyasha..."

"Keh." he scoffed softly as he placed his hands in his red billowing sleeves. "Yeah, it's me, Wench."

"Osuwari." Kaori said simply before she looked down at the little blond furball on her chest. She poked it gently and it unfurled to reveal the child inside, who was slowly waking up. "Shippou-chan." Kaori said softly as she cuddled the kit to her chest in a tight embrace. "You saved us, didn't you?"

Shippou flushed slightly as he returned the hug he was receiving. "Yes. You've been kind to me and took me in even though I tried to steal from you." Before he could get another word out, he was crushed in another hug. This time by Kagome. He snuggled deeper into the familiar embrace and took in her comforting scent. While he did like Kaori well enough, Shippou preferred Kagome's warm scent. Or perhaps it was because of her affiliation with Youko? Pulling out of her arms, Shippou turned to the older kitsune and imiko, bowing. "Thank you for avenging my Otou."

Youko let one of his rare smiles grace his handsome face as he knelt beside the little kitsune. "I gave you my word that we would help you, Kit."

"Hn." Hiei grunted, still looking at Kaori.

The silver kitsune swept his arm out and the leaves on the shrubbery parted, revealing a pile of blond fur.

Shippou's turquoise eyes widened significantly as a wide smile tilted on his face. "Otou!" He ran over to the fur and hugged the massive head tightly in his small arms. "Thank you so much!"

Youko walked over to the kit and placed his hand on the great form of Shippou's father. "We can hold the proper burial now, if you want." He gathered the fur into his arms carefully when Shippou nodded readily. Turning his head to look over his shoulder, he said, "We will be back soon."

Kaori assured Kagome for the eighth time that she was fine and that she only had a mild scrape on her elbow from when she landed on the ground. Sensing someone staring at her, the elder sister sought out the person and found Hiei scowling at her. Inclining a brow at him and said, "Is there a problem?"

The imiko said nothing as he approached her and took hold of her wrist. Once he had pulled her to her feet, Hiei ran off into the forest. Kaori had tried several times to take her arm out of his iron grip with no avail. He was just too strong. She could only follow as he pulled them deeper into the forest.

"Hiei, where are you taking me?" She asked after a milestone of silence.

"Be quiet." he whispered in a hard, yet surprisingly gentle tone.

Kaori quickly closed her mouth and gave the dark-haired demon a strange look. He's used such a gentle tone with her only once and that was when he asked him to consider her friendship. _'What's his deal?'_

As they approached a small open clearing that had a few trees surrounding the area, Hiei loosened his grip on her small wrist. Slowly, he turned to face her, his bangs hiding the small slit on his forehead that was his jagan. "Are you okay?"

The girl blinked. Of course she was okay? Maybe he smelled the blood that came from the wound on her elbow? She laughed softly and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'm fine."

"Hiten did not try anything with you?" His voice was still that hard yet gentle tone as his eyes scanned over her body.

Kaori finally realized what he was talking about. He wanted to know if Hiten had touched her in any type of way. Hiei was scared that the raijuu did the same thing that had happened to his twin. She moved her hand from his shoulder to his cheek and made him look her in the eye. "Hiei, are you referring to what happened to your sister? Do you think that what happened to her happened to me?"

Hiei's eyes hardened over. "How do you know about that?" His voice was cold as he slapped her hand away from his face.

"Inuyasha told me." she answered honestly. "I know that it's not my place to know, but don't you think that-"

The imiko cut her off with a sharp glare before looking away from her and those concerned ashen blue eyes of hers. "It is none of your business. Come. Your sister is probably getting worried about you." He started to walk back to the small campsite but stiffened when slender arms wrapped around his shoulders and a soft body pressed against his back.

"Hiei, I want to be your friend. Please, let me help you." She hugged him loosely, but close at the same time.

He shrugged out of her embrace. "Friends are just a crutch for the weak." With those words said, he took hold of her wrist and pulled her alongside of him as he made his way back to the area where their group was waiting.

Kaori frowned at his words, a crease forming between her brows. _'Hiei, you've got to drop those barriers around her heart and let me in. I want to help you.'_

* * *

><p>"Ne, Inuyasha? Why do you look so angry? Kagome questioned as she cuddled Shippou closer to her chest. She smiled fondly when the little kit bounced out of her arms and landed in Kaori's embrace. The younger twin watched as Kaori immediately began to ruffle his red hair in one hand as she tickled his stomach with the other. They made the perfect picture of an aunt and her nephew playing together.<p>

The hanyou growled low in his chest as he watched the girl he admired kiss the kit on the cheek. "I don't see why Shippou hasn't gone home yet!" he scoffed.

Kaori paused in playing with Shippou and scowled at the hanyou. "Shut up, Inuyasha! Shippou-chan is all alone!"

"Yeah!" Shippou said as he jumped back into Kagome's arms, grinning when she began to coddle him. "I'm just a defenseless, cute orphan."

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed as he shoved his hands into his sleeves and turned his nose up in the air. "Cute orphan, my ass." He looked down at the kit with a single eye. "Ne, Shippou-_kun_, when are you going home? I'm sure your village wants their idiot back."

Tears appeared in the redhead's large eyes as he buried his face in Kagome's chest. "Kagome! Kaori! Inuyasha's being mean to me!"

Hiei, sensing the twins' agitation, smiled smugly as he stated, "Hanyou, leave the kit alone before you get hurt."

"Keh. The runt just needs to leave if he can't handle it." As Inuyasha was about to tease the little kitsune again, he flinched when the girls called out his name darkly.

"Inuyasha, osuwari!"

Youko chuckled as he watched the rosary around the halfling's neck glow a brilliant pink color before making him kiss dirt rather painfully. "Still so young, Hanyou." he sighed.

* * *

><p>How was that! I absolutely loved how this chapter came out! Even if it was difficult to revise! It came out exactly how I wanted. Leave a nice review about what you think!<p>

Ja ne!

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: (See first chapter)

* * *

><p>One Jewel, Two Souls<p>

* * *

><p>Recap:<p>

_"Ne, Inuyasha? Why do you look so angry? Kagome questioned as she cuddled Shippou closer to her chest. She smiled fondly when the little kit bounced out of her arms and landed in Kaori's embrace. The younger twin watched as Kaori immediately began to ruffle his red hair in one hand as she tickled his stomach with the other. They made the perfect picture of an aunt and her nephew playing together._

_The hanyou growled low in his chest as he watched the girl he admired kiss the kit on the cheek. "I don't see why Shippou hasn't gone home yet!" he scoffed._

_Kaori paused in playing with Shippou and scowled at the hanyou. "Shut up, Inuyasha! Shippou-chan is all alone!"_

_"Yeah!" Shippou said as he jumped back into Kagome's arms, grinning when she began to coddle him. "I'm just a defenseless, cute orphan."_

_"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed as he shoved his hands into his sleeves and turned his nose up in the air. "Cute orphan, my ass." He looked down at the kit with a single eye. "Ne, Shippou-kun, when are you going home? I'm sure your village wants their idiot back."_

_Tears appeared in the redhead's large eyes as he buried his face in Kagome's chest. "Kagome! Kaori! Inuyasha's being mean to me!"_

_Hiei, sensing the twins' agitation, smiled smugly as he stated, "Hanyou, leave the kit alone before you get hurt."_

_"Keh. The runt just needs to leave if he can't handle it." As Inuyasha was about to tease the little kitsune again, he flinched when the girls called out his name darkly._

_"Inuyasha, osuwari!"_

_Youko chuckled as he watched the rosary around the halfling's neck glow a brilliant pink color before making him kiss dirt rather painfully. "Still so young, Hanyou." he sighed._

* * *

><p>Kaori peeked her head through the bushes and looked left then right. Sighing when she saw no signs of their demon companions around, she gave Kagome the signal. "It's all clear over here, Kags!" She kept her voice in a hushed whispered so that sensitive ears could not hear her voice. Shouldering her bag, she took that first brave step forward.<p>

Kagome heard her sister's quiet voice and nodded as she turned around. "No signs of them from the rear either." she called back. Her voice was soft as she began to tiptoe down the incline behind her twin. Slowly they made their way towards their destination. Kagome's sharp eyes caught the small rustle of leaves and she cursed silently. "They've caught on to us! Run!" She grabbed Kaori's hand and pulled her into a sprint.

Out of the trees, Inuyasha burst out running next to the girls, a wide smile spread over his face. "Where ya' running off to?" he bit back a snicker at the surprised face they were making.

"None of your business!" Kagome shouted as she yanked Kaori behind a nearby tree. They placed their hands on their knees to catch their breath.

Kaori sighed as she looked over at her sister. Who knew sneaking away from youkai would be so hard! Why could they just not let them leave without interrogation?! She gasped when she saw a snake-like vine slowly make its way over to Kagome and she quickly grabbed her twin out-of-the-way. "Nice try! But you can't stop us!" And they continued to run.

Youko leapt out of the tree he settled in with a frown on his face.

The twins grinned as their target came into their sight. The Bone Eater's Well. Their only means of going back home. Just as they were close enough to jump down the mouth of the well, something took hold of the back of their uniform shirts. They let out frustrated growls when they were suddenly tossed over the shoulders of Hiei.

"You are not going back to that other world of yours. You have a job to complete." His voice was stern at best as he walked back in the direction of the village.

Kaori looked over at Kagome, who nodded and stretched her hand out for her sister. Taking a deep breath, the elder sister said, "Hiei, fuse!" And just as the rosary around the imiko's neck flashed violet, the girls jumped off his shoulders. Turning to give him a snarky look, Kaori said, "Look! We haven't been home in weeks! Plus we have exams in the morning!"

Kagome spotted Youko coming out of the forest and saw him approached the well. She narrowed her eyes when he swept his fingers through his long silver hair. "Tsuke!" she yelled when she finally noticed the green seed between his fingers. "You are not about to seal the well with one of your plants, Youko!" she walked over to the fox and grabbed one of his ears and pulled him away from the dry well. "We're third years in junior high, you know! We have high school exams coming up soon!

The elder sister glared at Hiei, who had a look of indifference on his face as he crossed his arms. "If things go on like this, our attendance won't even be good enough." A loud rumbling caught Kaori's attention and she looked behind them to find Inuyasha before the well with a large boulder in his hands. "What the hell are you doing?"

Inuyasha grinned as he gave the twins a devious look. "From what I've seen this well is a problem. So if I smash it the problem will be solved!"

"Osuwari!" the girls screamed. They frowned when the hanyou fought against the spell of the rosary, remaining on his feet. "Osuwari! Osuwari! Osuwari! Osuwari! Osuwari! Osuwari! OSUWARI!"

The last incantation was the straw that broke the camel's back. Inuyasha buckled under the weight of the rosary's power and crumbled to the ground. The large boulder he was holding so high in the air came crashing down on his back, cracking his spine. He let out a yelp of pain as the rock ground into his bones.

Kagome and Kaori climbed onto the lip of the well, giving the two standing youkai a look that promised the same thing that happened to the halfling would occur to them. "We will be back in a few days." They glanced over at Inuyasha. "Don't try to follow us." With those words said, they jumped down the well and let the magic cover them.

* * *

><p>Souta watched his grandpa kneel before the well inside the shrine with curious eyes. He held Buyo close to him as he stroked the cat's soft fur. Glancing over at the bucket of saké, he said, "Jii-chan, that prayer of yours, does it really work?"<p>

Satoshi held his head high, barely acknowledging his grandson as he murmured, "It will. This is an authentic prayer that has been handed down through the generations." He mumbled out another chant as he lifted a lighter to light a sacred sūtra. Jii-chan ignored his grandchild's snarky comment. He's been down at this shrine for three days reciting this prayer in hops that his granddaughters would come back. "You will return...You will come back..." he said as he tossed the burning ofuda into the well. "Now the sacred ceremonial wine!"

Kagome smiled as she and her sister landed on the ground. "We made it."

Kaori returned to gesture with one of her own brilliant smiles. "Yeah, we did."

The twins blinked when a burning ofuda floated down in front of their faces, fizzing out before it reached the ground. Suddenly they were doused with a cold liquid and they voiced their discomfort with a loud screech, "That's cold!"

"What the hell is this?" The elder sister griped as she twisted her long hair in her hands to rid it of the excess liquid.

"It smells like sake!" The younger looked down at her wet, soaked uniform and scrunched her nose up at the strong scent that hit her full force.

Satoshi gazed down into the well and his heart swelled with pride. "My granddaughters! My prayers have worked!"

"Nee-chan?" Souta tossed Buyo aside and ran to the look into the well. "Kagome-nee! Kaori-nee! You did it, Jii-chan!"

Kaori felt her brow twitch when she heard Kagome give a small sneeze. Why on Earth would those two start a whole argument about Souta becoming the next priest?! Balling her hand into a tight fist, she yelled, "Can you please help us out of here?!"

* * *

><p>"The Higurashi Shrine, right?" The cab driver repeated as he kept his eyes straight on the road before him. Not many people went to that place anymore. Only time people went there was for the festivals that were held there during the season change. "Are you having an exorcism or something, so early in the morning?" He joked lightly.<p>

The woman in the back said nothing for the longest of moments before sighing, "That's right." She looked down at the package resting harmlessly on her lap. Cold sweat made the hairs on the back of her neck to stick to her skin. "A relative of mine died and this mask that was never allowed out of the house was forcibly passed down to me." Her teeth began to worry her lower lip. "It's called the Adhering Mask. It's said that if someone puts it on, it can only be removed in death. It's also said that it was made during the Sengoku Jidai and that it cannot be destroyed, even by fire. And if it was damaged, the person at fault would die a mysterious death."

Soon the cab driver announced that they've reached her destination and the woman slowly nodded, climbing out of the taxi after paying her fare. Standing close to sacred ground comforted her somewhat. but the weight of the cursed item in her hands reminded of what needed to be done. Looking down at the wrapped up parcel, she commented, "Honestly. This thing's so creepy."

* * *

><p>Kagome scratched Buyo behind the ears as she poured herself a bowl of cereal. She rubbed her hair with the towel that was draped around her shoulders and blinked when her cat sneezed suddenly. "What's the matter Buyo? Are you catching a cold?"<p>

Kaori came up behind her and sniffed the younger girl's hair and grimaced. "You still reek of liquor."

As if to confirm Kaori's words, Buyo slid from Kagome's lap in a comical way and jumped into Souta arms. He made a show of burying his nose in the boy's shirt, which earned him a glare from the younger twin. Kaori snickered behind her hand at the interactions between the family pet and her little sister before sipping at her juice. Nodoka walked into the kitchen, the girl's uniforms draped over her arms.

"Here you go girls." she smiled as she handed the clothes to them.

"Arigatou, Mama." they said simultaneously.

Souta sat down on the floor and began to rub Buyo on the stomach, making the fat cat purr loudly. "Ne, Nee-chan, why didn't you bring the fox-eared boy or the guy with the cool spiky hair with you?"

Kagome choked on her cereal and quickly washed it down with a deep drink of apple juice as she sputtered out, "They are way too much of a hassle!"

"Way too much! They'd attract a lot of unwanted attention!" Kaori agreed, balling her hands into tight fists. "Life is difficult enough without them around." With those words said, the elder twin went up stairs to her room to change clothes for school. Kagome quickly finished the rest of her breakfast and followed her sister's lead.

* * *

><p>Kagome sighed as she watched her little brother and older sister argue about why they did not bring Youko or Hiei along with them. Did he not see how aggressive those two demons can get when they wanted to go back to the Sengoku Jidai? For Kami's sake they threw the twins over their shoulders the last time they were here! It was hard enough trying to get rid of them so they could come back for today's exams. As the trio walked down the long stairway, Kagome noticed someone standing at the bottom. "A woman?"<p>

Souta stopped bickering with Kaori long enough to looked down at the woman. "A customer, maybe?" He jumped back and grabbed on his older sisters' hands when he saw the woman's face. It was deathly pale with squinty black eyes that seemed to peer right through his soul. There were long scars crisscrossing over her face and her smile was eerie. "Nee-chan, she's kinda creepy."

Kagome hushed him, guiding him away from the woman. "Don't be rude, Souta!" _'But somehow her face reminds me of a Noh __mask__...and those scars...'_

Kaori watched the woman stare at their home for a long tense moment before she turned around and walked away. _'Her face is creepy. Like a Noh __mask__ or something. But I guess that's her real face.' _She felt Souta tug on her sleeve and gave him a soft smile; their previous argument forgotten. Taking his hand in hers, she and Kagome walked him to his school. The girls had a weird feeling about that woman, but there could not possibly be any youkai here.

* * *

><p>"Morning! Eri! Yuka! Ayumi!" the twins said cheerfully as they ran over to their small group of friends.<p>

Three girls smiled brightly as they recognized their two best friends. "Kagome! Kaori!" they said happily as the Higurashi girls made their way over to them.

The girl with medium length black hair and dark brown eyes looked over them worriedly as she said, "Is it really okay to come to school again?"

"Huh?"

Eri tilted her head to the side. "When we called your house to ask why you've been absent, we heard that Kagome had strained her back and that Kaori was in the hospital being tested for diabetes."

Kagome and Kaori both had looks of pure murder on their faces as they cursed their stupid grandfather for coming up with such ridiculous lies. Why could he not just said that they had the flu or something and that they were out of masks? Not say that they had diseases that only people of elderly ages get!

"Higurashi!"

"Higurashi-chan!"

A boy of average height and built with light brown hair and shining blue eyes peddled closer to them. Following close behind on foot was a young man with long black hair tied in a neat low ponytail and brilliant green eyes. They were both bathed in the soft sunlight, giving them an ethereal look. The boy with blue eyes stopped in front of Kagome, a soft smile on his face as the other approached Kaori.

"Are you feeling better?" the two asked in unison.

Kagome and Kaori's three friends gasped as they huddled closer to the twin with stars in their eyes. Houjou-kun and Kyouta-kun from class B!" they sighed dreamily.

Houjou looked down at the pretty face that was Kagome and he smiled sadly down at her. "It must be really hard having gout at such a young age."

Kyouta touched Kaori's hand briefly before pulling away. "How did your diabetes test go?"

"I know there isn't much I can go, but..." Houjou reached inside his backpack and pulled out a pink and red polka-dotted wrapped gift and placed it in Kagome's hands.

"Please accept this, Higurashi-chan." Kyouta gave the older sister a dark purple wrapped up present.

Kagome pulled open the ribbon keeping the item closed and blinked at what was inside. There were small bamboo sandals that had a delicate pink bow on them. Looking over at Kaori she saw that her sister received something that looked like green curved strip of wood. The twins shared confused looks before raising a brow at the boys who gave them the presents.

Houjou smiled brightly as he walked back over to his bicycle. "Those are therapeutic sandals. Wear them, okay?"

Kyouta smiled charmingly down at Kaori and touched her hand again, this time lingering for a moment. "It's a health log. It promotes good health when you step on it."

The two boy then left the twins standing there with the items in hand as the sunlight seemed to bathe them in its glow.

The girl with short dark brown hair and burning blue eyes marched up to the twins, her finger pointed at them. "Ne, have you two been seeing Houjou-kun and Kyouta-kun?"

Kagome and Kaori sputtered out a choked, "No!" as they began to deny any accusations of them dating the boys who just left. As if they had the time to even think about going out with anyone. Not while they had three demons breathing down their necks about a stupid jewel. The bell for home room and the group quickly shuffled into the building. They changed into their school shoes and walked to their classroom.

Ayumi leaned over Kagome's desk, her large brown eyes wide from the topic at hand. She was giddy about the possibility of her two friends getting the attention of the two hottest boys at their school. "Aren't you interested in Houjou-kun just a bit, Kagome?"

Eri smirked as she placed her hands on her hips and bent down to eye level with Kaori and Kagome. "Or is it that you already have someone who you like? A boyfriend that you haven't told us about?"

The twins blushed furiously as they slammed their hands on the tops of their desks, rising to their feet. "That's not it! Of course not!" they shouted while glaring at Eri for even making that accusation. Why on Earth would they get a boyfriend and not tell their best friends? Who did she take them for?

Yuka blinked as she leaned over Kaori's desk and ran her fingers through her short hair. With a small smile, she asked, "Then what kind of guy do you like?"

Kagome and Kaori thought over this. What type of guy would they like to be with some day? Hmm...they'd have to strong and reliable. Smart and quick-witted. Does not get mad easily and has to be kind. Someone who was not Youko, Hiei, or Inuyasha. The twins walked over to the window and sighed dreamily as they envisioned their perfect boyfriend.

"Yeah..." they sighed, "The exact opposite of them..."

The teacher walked into the classroom at that moment and began to daily lesson.

* * *

><p>Ren smiled at the little kitsune as she accept the herb from him. Collecting the right types of medicinal plants has become much easier on her old bones now that Shippou was around to help her. Sitting down on her mat, the old miko began to grind the leaves into a thick paste that she will soon turn into a type of powder for the people of her village. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the hanyou groaning in pain as he laid on his stomach. Ren laughed softly when she saw Inuyasha try to stand and heard a sharp crack.<p>

"Inuyasha, why don't you go out with Kurama and Jaganshi and find rumors of the Shikon Shards. Stop being a lazy dog." she scolded playfully.

The halfling managed to glare at the old woman. "Shaddup!" he growled halfheartedly. "My back still hurts from all those incantations those girls did." He balled his hands up in tight fists as his mind replayed the incident that a day ago. Why didn't Youko or Hiei tell him that the well was the twins way back home? He would not have tried to smash it. But that still gave them no right to bust his back up like that.

'_Kaori...just wait until you and your sister get back. I'll make you pay!'_ Inuyasha thought as he tried to get up, but a sharp sudden pain that jolted down his spine made him fall back to the floor with a whine.

* * *

><p>Kagome flopped down on her bed and grabbed her soft pink pillow and buried her head in it. She sunk into the warmth of her mattress and sighed. Absolutely nothing beat sleeping on a comfortable bed. Stretching out in a cat-like manner, a lazy grin spread over her lips. "Man, this is the best." She grimaced in mock pain when her sister tapped her forehead with a notebook.<p>

Kaori rolled her eyes and swiveled back around to the desk and scribbled in a quick note. "You know that we should study. The math test is tomorrow and that's our worst subject."

The younger sister smiled sheepishly. She never really cared for studying math. It was her worst enemy. She preferred English. The foreign language intrigued her and one day when Kagome finished high school, the younger girl wanted to go to a college in the States. Hopping off her comfy bed, Kagome walked over to her side of the desk and sat in her chair. A glimmer to her left caught her eye and she looked down at it. "The Shikon Shards..." She fingered the small vial gently. "We've already collected seven shards. Just how long will things go on like this?"

Upon hearing her little sister sigh out wistfully, Kaori reached out and tapped her with the math notebook. A little harder this time. Probably too hard since Kagome cried out in pain and shot her a glare. "Study."

Hours passed and after some intense studying, the twins passed out, resting their heads in the folded arms over the desk. Unknown to them something was watching them through their window. It was the woman from earlier, her face floating in the darkness of the night sky. Her ebony eyes searched the room for what called it and they landed on the small glass vial on the desk. Her lips tilted up in a smile. "How wonderful..." her voice was deep and warped. "That the Shikon no Tama still exists in this time."

Then the unexpected happened. The woman's face began to stretched out into the twins' room!

Down below on the road, a red sports car swerved around a corner. The man inside was telling his latest conquest about the story of the ghost of a woman who was killed in a hit and run on that very road. The woman next to him placed her hands on her cheeks and gave a little scream of terror before swatting at him when she saw the mischievous glimmer in his eyes. Looking back up at the road, they both exchanged gasps of horror at what they saw.

The body of a woman with her face stretched out towards the shrine. With a screech of brakes, the car slammed into the body of the woman, sending her flying into the bushes across the street. The noise jolted the twins awake as they rubbed the sleep out of their eyes. Rising out of their chairs, they walked over to the window.

"What was that?" Kagome yawned.

Kaori shrugged her shoulders as she closed the curtains draped over the window. "Probably an accident or something." Glancing over at the clock that was ticking loudly on her bed side table, her eyes widened at the time. "It's 2 A.M.?!" Running over to the desk, she gathered up her notes to see just how far they had gotten. "We haven't even gotten past the second chapter!"

Kagome sighed as she sat down at her desk. There goes her beauty sleep. Her sister was going to keep her up all night to study especially since their attendance was already low. Plopping down in her chair, she grabbed her notebook and began the first set of equations that Kaori had prepared for her.

* * *

><p>Back in the Sengoku Jidai Youko and Hiei sat up in their favorite trees, enjoying their peace and tranquility. It was rare that they ever got a good break in like this, but there was something missing. It just did not feel right.<p>

"Youko-sama!" Shippou's voice called up before a head full of bright auburn hair popped up in the silver kitsune's face.

The older fox demon arched a fine brow at the kit sitting in his lap. "Yes?"

Shippou scrunched his face up and looked Youko in the eyes. "When are Kagome and Kaori coming back? I miss them!"

Hiei turned on his back, propping his foot up and resting more deeply on his branch. "They said that they will return in a few days."

"But!" Shippou cried. He missed the twins dearly. Without them around, it just was not as fun. He wanted to jump in Kagome's arms and have her hug him tightly while talking about how cute and precious he was. It reminded him of his mother when she did that. He also wanted to wrestle with Kaori when she tried to tickle him or muse up his hair. He missed their bright smiles and cherry expressions. He blinked when Youko placed his hand on his head. "Youko-sama?"

"If you miss them so dearly, then Hiei and I will go and get them."

* * *

><p>The final bell of the day rang loudly through the schoolhouse and the twins rushed out of the classroom. With bright, happy smiles on their faces, the girls cheered, "I'm done! I'm done!" They twirled around in small dance, stopping when Yuka and Eri walked up next to them with envious looks.<p>

Yuka sighed as she bowed her head. "I envy you, two."

Eri gave the twins a deadpanned look. "You're always in the top 30, aren't you?"

The twins rubbed the back of their heads sheepishly. While that was true. The math test practically kicked their butts today. So, they were lucky even to score high enough to be in the top 30, if even that! But that did not matter today! They finally finished with all those exams! It was time to celebrate before having to go back to the Sengoku Jidai!

"Higurashi!"

"Higurashi-chan!"

Kagome and Kaori paused at the sound of their names being called. Turning around they saw Houjou and Kyouta slowly make their way over to them. When the boys reached them, Kagome blinked in surprise when Houjou handed her another wrapped up gift. Upon opening it, she saw that it was the same green curved strip of wood that Kyouta had given her sister yesterday.

"I know that Kyouta gave Kaori one yesterday, but I thought that you could use one also. It's good for your health. Please step on it." Houjou said with a small red tint to his cheeks.

Kyouta walked over to Kaori and touched her hand softly as he smiled gently. "Higurashi-chan..." he cooed out her name in a whisper. "I was wondering if you and your sister would like to go the movies with Houjou and I."

Kaori blinked in confusion. Movies? With Houjou and Kyouta? He's asking them out on a date? A blush spread over her cheeks as she grabbed her twin's hand, feeling the warmth of Kagome's body temperature rising.

Yuka grinned as she stepped up behind the girls. "What will you do?"

Eri moved beside Kagome with a sly grin. "You going?"

The twins looked up at their best friends and saw the expectancy in their eyes. They knew both Yuka and Eri knew that they've never gone out on a date before so their was no use to lying. Glancing back over at the two boys, who were waiting patiently for an answer, Kagome and Kaori said, "I guess that'd be okay."

Houjou and Kyouta's eyes lit up brightly. "Really? Then, this Saturday." After the black-haired boy touched the elder sister on the wrist, they both ran off with happy grins on their faces.

Saturday! The twins suddenly felt deflated as they remembered that they had to go back to the past tomorrow. Going out on a date is out of the question if Youko and Hiei were to show up and try to drag them back. Bowing their heads, the girls sighed sadly.

"Higurashi sisters!" a teacher cried out as he held two notebooks in his hand.

* * *

><p>"Make-up tests!?" the twins said in unison. They could not believe what they were hearing. All that late-night cramming did nothing! They still flunked the math test! And now they had to do retakes this Saturday! Those stupid demons will not let them stay an extra three days!<p>

Dragging their feet on the concrete, Kagome and her sister walked back home with a dark cloud over their heads. Man! Why was their life getting so complicated?! It used to be so simple. They would get up, go to school, make good grades, go back home, and study. What happened to that normal life style!

A sudden chill brought the twins to alert. What was that? A youkai? But that cannot be! Their were no demons in their time. Unless... Turning around, the girls spotted Youko and Hiei mere seconds before they were thrown over the youkai's shoulders and carried off.

"It's time to come back." Hiei's stern voice said over the roaring of the wind.

Knowing that there was not a snowball's chance in hell that Youko or Hiei would let them stay longer, they had to try. Placing bright and happy smiles on their faces, ones that they knew made their greyish-blue eyes sparkle, Kagome and Kaori said, "Youko! Hiei! We wanted to see you!"

Youko tilted his head down at the girl on his shoulder and smirked mischievously. "Is that so?" His hand moved lower on her back teasingly. He chuckled at her gasp and her attempts to swat away his fingers. "I didn't particularly want to see you though." Youko moved his hand away and fisted his claws in her backpack.

Glaring at the kitsune for playing such a perverted trick on her, Kagome got her revenge by yanking on one of his furry ears. Not enough to hurt him, just enough to irritate him. She looked over at her sister and saw her scowling at something that Hiei had said as the imiko had an amused smirk on his face. Sighing, the younger sister thought that maybe they had a chance at staying for a little while longer.

Kaori slumped her shoulders and cringed at the harsh tones of the youkai's voice when she and Kagome had asked to stay for three more days. Clasping her hands together, she pleaded, "Please Hiei! We can't study over on the other side."

"If we fail the make-up test too, it's all over for us." Kagome implored, her eyes wide and shining. "Please just this once?"

Hiei stared down at the twins with an impassive face. "No."

The twins felt their resolve to be kind slowly dissolve. "Even though we're begging you like this?" They said in unison.

Youko lifted his nose in the air and crossed his arms over his chest. "We are going back. Now."

The hot angry tears that the girls were holding back suddenly broke free as they glared hatefully at the two demons. They could no longer hold back the feelings of resentment as their emotions took over. They wanted their old life back! They did not want to be subjected to just being 'jewel detectors'! No! That was not the life they wanted to be living! "Then how are you going to take responsibility!?"

The sudden outburst took the youkai by surprise. All they could do was stare in surprise as the twins vented out their frustrations out. Something odd stirred in the demons' chests as they watched the tears stream down the girls' faces. Youko and Hiei did not like seeing these young women cry as such.

The kitsune reached out for the younger sister, but stopped just short of touching her. "Kagome?"

"Onna?" Hiei said, his voice unusually soft.

The girls did not even look up at them. "Just go away."

_Fox, let's just go. The onna are in an unstable condition. _ Hiei said through their metal link as he walked over to the well, placing his foot on the lip.

Youko nodded silently as he made his way over to the well. He followed his partner down the dark opening, welcoming the feel of the well's magic around him as it carried him five hundred years into the past.

* * *

><p>In the dead of the night at a nearby park, a middle-aged man crumbled up in a corner. He yelled out in pain when a small foot was rammed into his spine, causing him to hit his head against the brick wall. "Hey..." he said meekly. "Stop it!"<p>

His attackers mocked him. " 'Hey, stop it' He says." The people harassing the man were nothing more than teenagers. No older than thirteen years old.

The female of the group laughed and crossed her thin arms over her chest. "What a funny looking guy."

One of the teens snatched the man's wallet out of his pocket and pulled out several notes of yen. He cracked a sly smile as he split the money, giving each of his friends a few hundred yen and put the rest in his own pocket. "You were pretty loaded, Oji-san." he chuckled to himself.

"This body is already useless..." a voice rasped, causing the teenagers to turn around. They spotted a woman with a bloody, mangled up body struggling to keep standing on her feet. "It's already broken."

"What the hell?" the kids said in disgust as they took up a defensive stance.

The woman laughed to herself as she looked up the children with an eerie gleam in her black eyes. "I'm grateful..." she smiled slightly, her head tilted to the side. "So many in this world with evil souls." With those final words, a split wine down the middle of her face. Slowly it parted, opening to reveal shows of razor-sharp teeth. Without warning, her face stretched out and ripped one of the teens heads off. The teeth munched on his skull as the headless body fell the ground, blood gushing out of the severed neck.

"To take the Shikon no Tama, I must have a stronger body and consume evil souls." Relishing in the horrified screams of the other children, the woman turned her sights on them.

* * *

><p>The mass murder of the four children was the talk of the town. People everyone knew about what happened, even a few ghost stories popped up. And in the span of a day, the gossip reached the school of the twins. Kaori snorted when she heard a few of her female classmates mutter on about how the man must have been intoxicated and how the police searched the park. Apparently, the officers found the body of an unknown woman with her head missing.<p>

Kagome chewed on the eraser of her pencil as she listened to her classmates gossip.

"It just doesn't feel right, Kao." the younger sister admitted when school had let out. She bit her thumb as she looked over at her twin with a worried face. "A woman with a Noh Mask like face stretched out her neck? It sounds like a youkai!"

Kaori sighed as they passed the park where the slaughter occurred on their way home. "Do you think we should call Hiei or Youko?"

The twins looked at each other before shaking their heads vigorously. "No way!" they shouted simultaneously. After going by Souta's school and picked him up, the Higurashi siblings walked home. Once back in the house, the girls locked themselves in their room, changed out of their uniforms, and immediately began to study.

Kagome shifted through the cluster of books resting on the desk, looking for the math study guide that Kaori made her purchase the moment they returned home for the exams. "Where did I put that study guide?" After flipping through the stack for the third time, the younger sister began to panic. "Kao! I can't find the math study guide-book!"

"What?" Kaori shouted as she shot up out of her seat. "You just had it yesterday!"

* * *

><p>Youko opened the book in his lap and scanned the contents of it. There were many strange-looking symbols, but he managed to figure out a few of them. It was a book of advanced math equations. Perhaps this is what those girls were talking about. "Interesting. Those girls are learning how to do such complicated equations."<p>

Shippou jumped on the older kitsune's shoulder and peered at the boo. "What are you looking at, Youko-sama?" he tilted his head as he tried to decipher what was written on the paper. "A spellbook?"

The silver kitsune chuckled and closed the book and set it down on the branch he was sitting on. "No, Kit, it's a book of math. I found it in Kagome's room."

"Kagome?" Shippou said curiously. "But what if she and Kaori need it?"

Youko lifted the book up and stared at it for a moment. Memories of seeing the tears streaming down Kagome's face when he denied her a few more days in her time flashed before his eyes. It made him feel sick. He had no desire to witness that again. Sighing, the elder fox demon handed Shippou the book. "Then, I shall put you in charge of giving it to them when they return."

Shippou smiled brightly and nodded his head vigorously. "It would be my honor, Youko-sama!"

* * *

><p>"Eh?" The twins said after hearing their mother's announcement. "Jii-chan is in the hospital?" Immediately the feeling of dread clasped over their hearts. Their grandfather was always such a strong old man. What could have possibly brought him down?<p>

Nodoka placed her hand on her daughters' shoulder, calming them down with a soft smile. "It's just a minor case of food poisoning." She moved her hand away and bent to grab her bag off the floor. "But considering his age, it would be better if I stayed with him tonight."

Later that night, Kaori was struggling with a difficult equations when she heard the faint footsteps of her little brother. Glancing over her shoulder at him, she saw that he had cuddled up with Buyo on Kagome's bed. Shrugging her shoulders, she continued to attempt to solve the damned equations.

After a few minutes of silence, Souta finally spoke up. "Nee-chan?" he waited until he heard their hums of acknowledgement before continuing. "Can I sleep here with you?"

Kagome sighed and placed her pencil down. She swiveled around his her chair to look at her little brother. "What are you saying? Aren't you a boy?" While she did baby Souta more than Kaori, she understood that some things he needed to do on his own. Or he will never learn.

"But..." he mumbled.

Kaori flung a piece of eraser at Souta, giggling when he jumped and let out a loud scream. "You really are a coward."

Souta glared at Kaori and a small stream of electricity formed when she returned the look. It was not until Kagome sighed and rose out of her chair and stood between the siblings. Souta hugged Buyo closer to him as he spoke up, "You head about what happened at the park, didn't you?"

The twins rolled their eyes as they remembered the dramatic fashion the gossip spread through their school. It was worse than when they found out that the meanest teacher in the building was going to get married soon. Scoffing, they replied with, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Don't you remember?" he questioned with a frightened look in his hazel eyes. "That lady from the other day?"

Flashes of the morning of the exams ran through the girls' mind. Recalling what had transpired before school, the twins gasped as they remembered the woman with the Noh Mask like face that stood in front of the shrine. _'That woman... She had a face like a Noh __Mask__... __Stretched__ out her neck and... Ate all four of them.' _Standing out of their chairs they girls chewed on the tips of their thumbs. _'That woman wasn't human!?'_

Suddenly the glass of the window shattered and Kagome quickly grabbed Souta and shielded him from the shrapnel. She winced slightly when a shard sliced through the flesh of her cheek. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Kaori was sitting on top of the desk with her arms covering her head. Turning to look at the broken window, Kagome gasped at what she saw. "A Noh Mask!?" She watched in disgust as the body of the creäture climbed into the room. It was a blob of human flesh that had the faces and bodies of its victims protruding in odd angles.

"More..." it rasped. "I want a better body."

Kaori slowly lowered her arms and bit back a shriek of terror at what she saw. A small glimmer in the center of the mask's forehead caught her eye. _'It has a shard of the Shikon no Tama!'_

"The jewel...give it to me!" its beady black eyes turned to Kaori, who jumped.

'_This thing is after the __jewel__...' _She inched her fingers closer to the vial that held the seven twinkling shards. Her eyes widened when the mask slit down the middle and showed rows of sharp teeth. "No!" Kaori screamed as she grabbed her chair and shoved it into the mouth. As the Noh Mask crunched of the chair, Kaori took this chance to grab container holding the shards and ran over to here her siblings were. "What are you two waiting on?" Grabbing Souta's hand in hers, she and Kagome dragged him out of the room.

They ran out of the house, searching for someplace safe for Souta to hide. The safety of their little brother as their number one priority. No harm was to come to Souta. If anything were to happen to him, they would not be able to forgive themselves. _'We got to call for them. Youko! Hiei! Inuyasha!'_

Kagome noticed that Souta was still frozen with fear and was stumbling over his feet. "Souta!" her voice came out harsher than what was needed, but she did not care at the moment. "Pull yourself together and run already!"

Something warm and sticky dripped down onto Souta's left hand and looked to see blood pouring out of a wound on Kaori's hand. "Kaori-nee!" he screamed, tears forming in his eyes. "You're bleeding!"

Kaori glanced down at her hand and the pain finally registered in her head. "Don't cry!" she reassured him, squeezing his hand tightly in hers. "It's just a cut I got from the glass, okay." A scream was ripped from her as the Noh Mask sudden stretched out and grabbed hold of the back of Kagome's pajamas. "Kags!" She shoved Souta behind the statue and told him to stay there.

Kagome groaned in pain and rubbed her head. The back of her pjs had ripped and she fallen to the ground rather hard. She blinked when she saw that Kaori was running over to her side, narrowly avoiding the mouth of the Noh Mask. "Sis, that youkai is after the jewel shards."

"I realized that, Kags." Her hand squeezed the vial tightly. "Souta and you will be safer if I get away from here." Rising to her feet before Kagome could even attempt to stop her, Kaori ran over to the Noh mask. "Hey, you ugly piece of flesh! You want the shards, you'll have to catch me first!"

"Kaori!" Kagome yelled as she watched her twin ran down the stairs that led to the shrine with the Noh Mask speeding after her. Standing , the younger sister looked over at Souta and said, "Run to the Well Shrine and go in the well! Call Youko, Hiei, or Inuyasha here!" She narrowed her eyes when the boy simply pointed at himself in disbelief. "Souta, listen to me! Just tell them that there is a shard of the Shikon no Tama here. They'll be more than happy to rush over here!"

Souta looked on as his sister disappeared down the stairs after their elder sibling. Rubbing his face with the sleeve of his pajama shirt, he put on a brave face. He had to go in the well and retrieve those cool looking guys to save his sisters! Running as fast as he could, Souta flung open the door that led to the Well. Climbing on the lip, he looked down into the dark depths. All he had to do was jump and he could save his sisters.

"Here goes nothing!" Souta shouted as he jumped inside. He yelped out in pain as he landed squarely on his face on the dirt covered well floor. It didn't work. Why? Why did it not work? Was it that only his sisters could use the well's magic? No! That's not fair! The twins needed him! He was not about to give up. Curling his fingers into claws, he began to dig through the dirt, hoping that he would unearth the magic of the well.

"Come on!" he panted out harshly as he continued to dig. "Come one! Nee-chan is..." tears flowed down his dirty cheeks as he screamed out, "Nee-chan is going to die!" Suddenly there was a bright flash of blue light and Souta was lifted off the ground by the back of his shirt. Opening his eyes, he saw a man who he never seen before. He had long silvery-white hair that had little Inu ears sticking out of his skull and he also had bright amber eyes.

Inuyasha smirked. "Looks like you're in trouble, doesn't it?" He placed the kid on his back and jumped out of the well. He ran out of the shrine and quickly followed the path that Kaori and her sister took. He flashed the child a cheeky grin when he told the hanyou that he needed to find the girls quickly or they could die. "Keh! I'm here now. So, don't worry."

Souta tilted his head in interest. "But how did you? I mean I couldn't pass through the well."

Leaping over another building with ease, Inuyasha replied. "I've got a keen nose. You have Kaori's blood on your hand. Wherever Kaori is, I'll find and save her!" he declared.

Souta recalled all the things that his sisters said about their demon companions and yet neither one of them mentioned this awesome dude! He began to wonder why they never talked about this golden-eyed demon? He seemed to be really nice and reliable!

* * *

><p>Kaori paused to catch her breath as she leaned against a support beam of a building under construction. Glancing over her shoulder to see that thing closing in on her. How on earth did something so large move so fast! It defied all laws of physics! Narrowing her eyes, she spotted a small black blur running behind the creäture. "Kagome?" she said once she recognize what the blur was.<p>

Kagome pushed all her strength in her legs as she overtook the Noh Mask blob. As she ran, she grabbed her sister's hand and pulled her inside the construction site. "Even though that things true form is the Noh Mask, it's body is pieced together from its victims, right?" she drug her sister over to the stairs. "Its body must be hard to control so maybe if it can't follow us up here!"

"Damn you..." the Noh Mask cursed as it watched its prey run up the stairway. Taking a moment to consider its actions, the creäture found the only way it could reach the girls was for it to go up to them. Stretching out its neck, it used its teeth to clamp on the railing above the young women. Then it swung its heavy body up.

"No way!" the twins screamed as they turned to haul ass away from the monster.

"Sankon Tessou!" Inuyasha called out as the tips of his claws glowed a bright golden color. The diamond hard claws easily ripped through the soft fleshy body of the Noh Mask before it could even touch the twins. "Well, it looks like you're still in one piece." he grinned cheekily.

Kaori peaked open her eyes to see the tall form of the hanyou that saved her sister and herself. "Inuyasha!" she said happily. She smiled when Souta jumped out of the halfling's hold and into Kagome's awaiting arms. She waited for her turn and grimaced slightly at the tears that stained their brother's face. "Calm down, Souta. Inuyasha will save us."

The silvery ears on Inuyasha's head twitched as a snarky smirk tilted at his lips. "Heh." He turned his back on the girls and crossed his arms over his chest. "Before that, I'm not entirely unwilling to save you but," He looked over his shoulder at the twins, his amber eyes shining, "I want an apology! For the other day!"

"What are you talking about?" the girls said simultaneously, tilting their heads to the side.

Inuyasha growled low in his chest. "Don't tell me you've forgotten?" His mind replayed the painful memory off all those incantations that led to him throwing his back out. Even if he was a hanyou, that still hurt a lot! Any spinal injury would. "I won't let you say you've forgotten! You shout incantations to your heart's content and now you want me to save you?!"

Kaori giggled softly. "Did we really hurt your feelings that much? You shouldn't have tried to destroy the well." she reprimanded.

"I wouldn't have tried to destroy the damned thing if I had known that it was your only way home!" the halfling raged, his ears pulled back flat on his head.

"Oh..." was all the girls could say. They had never told the hanyou about the well. And they said all those incantations and made the huge boulder fall on his back. Guilt filled them as they clasped their hands together and said sincerely, "Gomenasai, Inuyasha."

The Inuhanyou was touched by the sincerity of the girls' apology. Especially Kaori's. She looked so cute with her greyish blue eyes sparkling and faint blush on her cheeks. He reached out with his hand to touch Kaori when the faint sound of the Noh Mask moving reached his ears.

"Damn you." it rasped out, holding its body closer. "How dare you do that to my body."

"Keh." Inuyasha scoffed as he shoved his hands into his red billowing sleeves. "You're a creepy one, aren't you? What the hell kind of monster are you anyway?"

The twins shuffled to their feet, holding Souta close them as they made their way over to the hanyou. "Inuyasha..." they murmured softly. "That demon's true form is the Noh Mask and it has a Shikon Shard in its forehead."

The shard in the mask;s head glinted with a malicious glow as the monster trained its eyes on its opponents. "I am the Flesh Eating Mask." It announced with a raspy voice. "Several centuries ago, I was carved from the Judas tree pierced with a shard of the Shikon no Tama. Since then, I've wanted a body of my own, and I've consumed the living flesh of human beings." Its voice turned anger. "But these human bodies, they break so easily. To create the perfect body, I must collect the Shikon no Tama." Its beady black eyes looked past the hanyou to the twins. "This is why, those jewels in your hand, give them to me!"

Kaori stuck her tongue out at the Noh Mask childishly. "No way! They're mine!"

Kagome giggled behind her hand. She knew that her sister was only trying to lighten the mood for the sake of Souta. The little boy was practically shaking with fear and the tears in his eyes have yet to dry. Squeezing her brother closer to her, Kagome gave him a small smile. "Everything is going to be okay."

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles as a snarl twisted on his lips. "Keh!" he scoffed, fangs bared. "I don't know how many people you've eaten up 'til now, but you're too damn fat!" He lunged at the fleshy blob with his claws raised high.

The Noh Mask slit down the middle, saliva dripping from its teeth. "I will eat you too!"

The hanyou smirked as he moved to the left and used his nails to cleave the Noh Mask's body in two. "Let's see you try." He watched with sick satisfaction as the two pieces of the creäture fell at opposite corners. "Keh! Too easy." He turned to flash Kaori a smile when one of the pieces suddenly started to move. Growling low in his chest, Inuyasha barked, "You won't get away!"

The other half of the monster's body zoomed over to meet and the sharp teeth embedded themselves in the hanyou's arm, trapping him. The corners of its painted on lips seemed to curve up into a cruel smile. "Idiot. You fell in my trap so easily." It crunched on Inuyasha's arm, greedy to devour the strong body that injured it. "I shall devour this arm."

Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha! Attacking the body won't do no good!" she called out. "You've got to get the Shikon Shard out of the Noh Mask!"

The nails of the hands closest to the hanyou's body elongated into talons. With stealthy speed, the Noh Mask dug its claws into Inuyasha's body, holding him in place. The teeth clamped down harder on the halfling's arm. "You won't escape now!"

Inuyasha grit his teeth, one of his fangs hanging over his bottom lip. "Its creepy with you hanging onto my hand like that, ya know!" With all the strength in his body, he lifted the heavy body of the Noh Mask high into the air, ripping the arms that clung to him. He heard Souta's cheer of astonishment and decided to show off more of his strength. "Let's end this!" He jumped over the edge of the building. With deadly precision, he drove the fat, blobby, body of the Noh Mask into the top of a crane. The sick sound of flesh splattering on metal was like music to Inuyasha's ears. "Heh. Too fucking bad."

"Damn you!" the mask cursed.

The hanyou grinned evilly as he caught the half and crushed it in his hands.

Souta punched his fist into the air. "He did it!"

Kaori shook her head. Something was wrong. Although it seemed like Inuyasha had won, where was the jewel shard. "Inuyasha!" she yelled. You have to get the Jewel Shard out of the other half!" Just as she called out those words, the elder sister felt the presence of a shard directly behind her. Turning around, she only had enough time to bring up her hands to protect her face when the half of the Noh Mask with the shard in it attacked her.

"Kaori-nee!" Souta screamed.

"Victory is mine!" the Noh Mask said. "This girl's body. I'll take it."

Kagome watched helplessly as her twin struggled against the strength of the mask. She knew that if she tried to help the Noh Mask would simply try to attach itself to her face. Either way, they were in a very sticky situation. She looked over at Inuyasha as pleading eyes. "Inuyasha, you've got to help Kaori!"

"Fool! He's too late!" the mask said victoriously as it pressed down harder on the girl's hands, trying to latch on her face.

Inuyasha placed his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga. "Kaori! Let go of the mask!" he watched as she hesitantly moved her hands away from the Noh Mask and he quickly pulled the blade out of its sheath. "Okay! Don't move!" With those words, he slashed and cut the part of the mask that housed the jewel shard. When the mask faded into dust, the hanyou smirked and rested his sword against his shoulder. "You okay, Kaori?"

Kaori blinked before gathering her bearing. "Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm okay." she twiddled her thumbs. "Thanks for saving me." A small blush formed on her face when the gold rays of the early morning sun haloed his form, making him look ethereal. _'Wow...Inuyasha looks really handsome with the sun highlighting his body and making his silvery-white hair shine. Wait...sun?'_ Kaori shrieked and clasped her hands over her face. "Kyaah! Kagome, it's morning!" she got on her feet and ran down the ramp to the ground floor.

"Shimatta!" Kagome cursed as she ran after her sister. "The make-up test is today!" she paused briefly to hand the vial holding the jewel shard to her little brother. "Souta, make sure you collect the one from the Noh Mask and place this on out desk."

Kaori looked up at Inuyasha from below and called out. "Go back to the Sengoku Jidai and tell Hiei and Youko that we forgive them! And don't try to take the jewel shards or I swear what happened the other day won't compare to what we'll do."

Inuyasha swallowed dryly and cringed at the memory. He felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw that it was the kid. "Need something?"

Souta looked up at the hanyou with admiration in his large light brown eyes. "You were really cool!"

"Think so?" His amber eyes easily found the retreating figure of Kaori and he sighed wistfully. _'Why can't you be the one to tell me that.'_

* * *

><p>Fully clothed in their school uniforms with their faces crammed in a math notebook, the twins struggled to comprehend the algebraic equations. Running full speed to the schoolhouse, the bemoaned, "X plus Y minus 48 equals 142. Solve if X was 4 and Y was 19. Argh! We'll never learn this in time!"<p>

* * *

><p>If ya'll noticed, I used the manga version of the "Noh Mask." I just like the manga version much better than the anime version. The Noh Mask was so much more evil! Anyway! I hope you liked this cha[ter as much as I like revising it!<p>

Ja ne!

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: (See first chapter)

* * *

><p>One Jewel, Two Souls<p>

* * *

><p>Recap:<p>

_Kaori blinked before gathering her bearing. "Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm okay." she twiddled her thumbs. "Thanks for saving me." A small blush formed on her face when the gold rays of the early morning sun haloed his form, making him look ethereal. 'Wow...Inuyasha looks really handsome with the sun highlighting his body and making his silvery-white hair shine. Wait...sun?' Kaori shrieked and clasped her hands over her face. "Kyaah! Kagome, it's morning!" she got on her feet and ran down the ramp to the ground floor._

_"Shimatta!" Kagome cursed as she ran after her sister. "The make-up test is today!" she paused briefly to hand the vial holding the jewel shard to her little brother. "Souta, make sure you collect the one from the Noh Mask and place this on out desk."_

_Kaori looked up at Inuyasha from below and called out. "Go back to the Sengoku Jidai and tell Hiei and Youko that we forgive them! And don't try to take the jewel shards or I swear what happened the other day won't compare to what we'll do."_

_Inuyasha swallowed dryly and cringed at the memory. He felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw that it was the kid. "Need something?"_

_Souta looked up at the hanyou with admiration in his large light brown eyes. "You were really cool!"_

_"Think so?" His amber eyes easily found the retreating figure of Kaori and he sighed wistfully. 'Why can't you be the one to tell me that.'_

* * *

><p><em>Fully clothed in their school uniforms with their faces crammed in a math notebook, the twins struggled to comprehend the algebraic equations. Running full speed to the schoolhouse, the bemoaned, "X plus Y minus 48 equals 142. Solve if X was 4 and Y was 19. Argh! We'll never learn this in time!"<em>

* * *

><p>It was the middle of the night and the village of Edo was fast asleep. But then the loud rumbling of trees being sliced apart and collapsing to the ground vibrated through the sky. The noise startled the old priestess awake. <em>'What in the name of Buddha was that?'<em> She sat up and reached for her bow and quiver. Once she exited her hut, Ren was immediately bombarded by village men. "Go check the courtyard! That is where the noise is!" she ordered.

They ran in the direction of the courtyard and when they saw that all was clear, the village men started to go back home. Until a ball of white light streaked across the sky and flew towards the temple. The men gathered their weapons and ran to the scene.

A sinister looking woman was crouched over a grave site, her large eyes scanning over the engraving before a crazed smile titled at her withered lips. "Here it is. Right here! There's no mistake!" Her gnarled fingers dug into the soil surrounding the small headstones. "Just enough moisture and the soil is good too!"

Ren finally made her way up the many stairs that led to the temple. When she saw the old demon crouched over the graves, the elderly miko reached for her bow and aimed an arrow at the youkai. She concentrated what little abilities she possessed into her arrow and it glowed very faintly. In a strong voice, Ren said, "Who are you? Identify yourself!"

The women turned her eyes on the old priestess and a sneer turned her lip upwards. "Silence! she boomed loudly, her scythe pointed at Ren. "I have no business with you, only with the urns buried here!" she smiled crookedly. "Once I possess them, I'll leave this village." The demoness turned back to the graves.

Ren's single brown eye widened. _'So, she knows what's buried here!'_ She raised her bow again and pulled the string taut. "Leave this place or we'll show no mercy!

"You talk too much, you stubborn ignorant babaa!" the woman screeched as she raked her nails down the blade of her weapon. A sharp noise resounded from the scythe and caused the villagers to clutch their ears in pain. The old demoness growled low in her chest when Ren released the arrow. She used her weapon to cut it in half before it could reach her. "Didn't I tell you to not interfere?" the old woman leapt in the air and swung her scythe in an arc and produced blades of light, which destroyed the graves.

An explosion of dirt surged up in the air, blinding the elderly miko. While unable to see properly, one of the blades sliced through the fragile skin of Ren's forehead. She winced in pain and backed off a little. One of the villagers called her name in an alarmed voice and placed his hands on her shoulders. The old demon swung her scythe again, sending more blades of light at the villagers. Once they were incapacitated, the old woman thrust her hand into the soil and took out two small urns.

Ren struggled in the arms of the man who held her down, her wound sending shock waves of pain throughout her aged body. "Those are my Onee-sama's! I will not let you have them! Not a demon like you!" she raised her bow in a weak attempt to shoot the old woman down.

The withered old woman laughed, her long white hair flying out with the movement. "I am the demoness, Urasue! The twin miko's, Kikyou and Kaede, ashes are now in my possession!" Urasue then transformed into a current and disappeared with the wind, flying off into the night sky.

* * *

><p>Youko ran through a dark forest, content from his latest heist. The wind blew his long silver hair out of his face as he felt the plants around him smiling alongside him. He breathed in the fresh crisp air when a familiar scent wafted up to his nose. The large kitsune ears on his head twitched as a voice reached him.<p>

"Youko Kurama!"

Turning slightly at the sound of his name being called, a pained growl was ripped from him when he was suddenly struck by an arrow through his shoulder. The arrow pinned him to the tree and glowed with purification when the silver fox reached to remove it. Youko scanned his surroundings. _'Who did that?!'_

A woman with long, flowing black hair and cold eyes glared at him as she slowly made her way over to him. The long bow in her delicate hands was raised and an arrow was notched in place. The gleaming metal tip was aimed directly at his heart.

'_Kagome?' _He asked before taking a closer look when the woman stepped into the light. His golden eyes widened as he looked deeply into those familiar hazel-colored eyes that he once adored. _'Kikyou?'_ He whined softly when she continued to glare hatefully at him.

Youko snapped his eyes open, a growl settled on his tongue. He looked around the area for any signs of danger as his eyes landed on the two sleeping bodies close to the campfire. He placed his hand over his left eye and growled softly. "Damn. That dream brought back unpleasant memories."

Hiei smirked as he nestled deeper into the shadows. "Bad dreams, Fox?" he asked amusedly.

The kitsune ignored the imiko as he leapt out of the tree he was perched in and landed beside Kaori and Kagome. He looked at their peaceful sleeping faces and realized just how much they looked like their supposed reincarnations. "They really do look like them." Youko whispered softly as he leaned in closer to the younger sister. "Kagome is almost identical to Kikyou..."

Hiei followed the fox's movements and landed next to Kaori. He leaned in to get a better look at the elder sister's face and was slightly startled to see the striking resemblance between the two. "Yes. They do look quite similar." he said begrudgingly.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and growled softly at the imiko for being so close to Kaori. The hanyou has grown very fond of the young woman and considered them bonded in ways that only they could understand. A few days ago was the Night of the New Moon, the one night where Inuyasha loses his demonic powers and becomes human. Youko and Hiei could not enter the temple that Kaori suggested that they stay and remained out in the surrounding forest.

But the temple was a trap to separate the young miko from their demon protectors so that a kumo youkai could kill them and take their jewel shards. Even though Inuyasha was human that night, he fiercely protected the girls; he allowed himself to be poisoned in Kagome's place. In the end when the spider monster had trapped the hanyou, Kaori saved him by using Tessaiga's kekkai to break the webs holding him down. It was then that someone first shed tears for Inuyasha.

'_Take that Hiei!'_ he boasted mentally. _'Kaori cried for me! She cares for me!'_ Inuyasha continued to glare at the shorter youkai.

Suddenly, Kagome snapped her eyes open and she bolted up. Her hand swung out and connected with something solid. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, the younger sister yawned softly as she covered her mouth with her other hand. "Mmm? Youko?"

Kaori sat up and pushed her sleeping bag down into her lap as she, also, yawned. "Kagome, what are you?" she paused when she noticed just how close Hiei was to her. She could practically reach out and touch him if she chose to. "Hiei, why are you so close to me?"

The apparition said nothing as he leapt back up into the shadows of the trees. Youko looked down at the red hand print on his forearm. He had been a second too slow in reacting, Kagome would have struck him in the face.

Kagome noticed the mark and gasped. "Oh! Did I hit you, Youko? I'm sorry." she apologized as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I must have thought you were a scary youkai trying to eat me or something." Kagome giggled nervously.

"I take it back." the kitsune suddenly growled out.

The younger sister gave him a strange look as she arched her eyebrow. "Take what back?"

"Absolutely not!" Youko shook his head to rid it of all the memories that tried to quell his mind. He would not let the come back. Not after what happened between him and that woman!

Kagome narrowed her eyes and huffed. "Youko, what are you talking about?"

Inuyasha's ears twitched as a vague scent filled his senses. He pulled his ears back on his head and growled lowly as he hand rested on Tessaiga's hilt. "We have company."

Hiei looked up at the sky and narrowed his eyes at the dark silhouette in the sky. "The scent of blood." he murmured as realized that he knew that scent. It was the scent of Ren's blood. Growling low in his chest, he cut his eyes over to Youko. _Fox. We're heading back to the village._

_Understood. _Youko said. _But why?_

Hiei's eyes were hard as he replied. _That youkai's blade has the scent of the babaa's blood on it._

* * *

><p>Kagome stifled a yawn as she wrapped her hands tighter around the kitsune's broad shoulders. Why on earth did they insist that they return to the village so early in the morning? The sun was barely even up yet! And because of what happened last night, Kagome barely got any rest! "Youko?" she said, "Why the sudden urge to go back to the village?"<p>

Kaori looked up at Hiei since he was holding her in his arms so that she could cradle Shippou to her chest. The little kitsune had clung to her in his sleep and would not let go. "Yeah, Hiei, did something happen?"

Shippou gave a cute little yawn as he snuggled deeper into Kaori's chest and inhaled her warm scent. Although his subconsciousness knew that it was not Kagome, he could not help but to be comforted by the warmth of her clean smell. "So sleepy..." he mumbled and grabbed her shirt tighter in his tiny claws.

Inuyasha scowled at Hiei. That should have been him holding the elder sister so close like that! Not that short bastard! The hanyou obviously cared more about Kaori than Hiei could ever hope. So why did she allow the imiko carry her and not him? _'Kaori...'_

As they approached the village, the scent of blood was all over the place. Primarily around the courtyard was where the scent was the strongest. The twins gasped when they spotted Ren limping out of her hut, her head and left arm wrapped in bandages, holding her bow tightly in her right hand while a few of the village women tried to stop her.

Ren gave the women an annoyed look. "Do not mind this. Tis not a serious injury!"

"Obaa-san!" the twins called out as they ran towards her after their demon companions let them down.

Kagome was the first to reach the old woman and she covered her mouth in shock as she took in the sight of Ren being all wrapped up in bandages. "What happened to you?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

Hiei walked up next to them and scoffed while smirking. "So, still alive, I see."

"Fuse." Kaori said as she glared at the imiko. A satisfied glimmer entered her greyish blue eyes when Hiei was forced to the ground by the white rosary around his neck.

Youko chuckled as he looked down at the apparition pinned the ground by the rosary's magic. "You did deserve that."

The imiko growled deep in his chest as he pushed himself off the ground and back to his feet. "I'll kill her one day." he hissed, brushing the dirt off his body and watched the girls lead Ren up the stairs to the courtyard.

Inuyasha followed the twins up the stairs, his eyes filled with mirth and snickering quietly. _'See how it feels?'_ He turned to the old miko when they reached the top of the stairs. "I guess not even a flesh wound can keep you down?" he scoffed and placed his hands in his billowing sleeves.

Ren smiled knowingly as she eyed the three demons. "So, ye youkai scented my blood on that demoness?"

The hanyou rolled his eyes and stuck his nose up in the air. "Look, you should think of your age and take it easy!"

Kagome and Kaori looked over at Inuyasha and then at the two standing uncomfortably on the stairwell before faint smiles tilted at their lips. _'So, they wanted to return to the village because they was worried about Obaa-san?'_

Kaori turned her gaze over to the large crater in the ground and the other destruction that happened because of the demon witch, Urasue. "What is this?" she asked, crouching close to the hole and peering inside.

Ren took her eyes off the three youkai beings and back to the young women, who were staring curiously at the crater that Urasue caused. "That is where my sisters', Kikyou and Kaede, gravesite."

Kagome joined her sister and kneeled down next to the hole as well, peering inside. "There was a grave here?" she inquired softly as a lone tear sparkled on her lashes. How could someone desecrate a person's final resting place like this? It was just cruel and unusual on anyone's part.

The old miko lowered her head as flashes of what transpired last night flickered through her head. A low sigh left her lips as she bowed her head, "I was not strong enough to stop her." Ren took no notice to how Youko and Hiei were glowering at the crater where the urns once rested. "My sisters had usually strong reiki, even for miko. If their ashes get into the hands of some youkai, who knows what evil purpose they will be used for?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two demons leaving. "Jaganshi! Kurama! Where are you going?"

Hiei looked up at the elderly woman, a scowl marring his handsome face. "Away from here. We were enemies." Discreetly, he touched the left side of his chest as memories flooded his mind. A low growl formed in his chest when he felt something akin to longing tug at his heart. Hiei quickly blocked the feeling before it could show on his face and quickly walked back down the steps.

Youko gave the girls one last look before turning his back on them. "Have you forgotten? They were the ones who pierced our chests with a Hama no Ya?" he asked harshly over his shoulder, the silver fur of his tail bristled and standing on end with his agitation.

Ren bowed her head. How could she forget the grudge the two demons had against her sisters. To her the incident happened over fifty years ago, but to them it only happened a few weeks ago. "Gomen." she said softly. "You're right."

The twins watched with sadden eyes as their youkai companions briskly walked away from the courtyard. Hiei going into the hut and Youko to his favorite tree just on the edge of the village. _'It all happened fifty years ago..."_

* * *

><p><em>Youko stormed out the small temple, a pearly, pinkish jewel half dangling from the white chain in his hands. He smirked as he showed his dark companion their latest treasure. The imiko smirked darkly before lifting the black chain that held the other half of the jewel. Together they faded into the shadows and ran off with their prizes.<em>

Youko Kurama and Jaganshi Hiei had wanted the Shikon no Tama for their own personal reasons. But the Jewel was protected by two very powerful miko; the infamous twins Kikyou and Kaede. Each time they tried to come near the jewel they were held fast to a tree with a sacred arrow. It began a game to the two couples until one fateful day when everything changed.

"_I suppose this will be a nice compensation for what those women did to us." Youko snarled as he elegantly dodged the various weapons thrown at him. He summoned his demon plants to attack the men that had thrown the spears at him, smirking when they ran away in terror._

_Hiei rolled his eyes as he fluidly ran beside the kitsune. "Keep focus, Fox."_

_Unbeknown to the two demons, the wounded bodies of Kikyou and Kaede slowly notched arrows on their bows and took aim. Their hazel eyes narrowed with hatred. They waited until the youkai were close to a tree before shouting out their names. The two demons looked over at the twin miko just as the women release their arrows. A pink trail followed the sacred arrows as they struck the youkai in the chest and pinned them securely to the tree. The two half of the Shikon no Tama fell from their fingers and onto the ground._

"_Kik-Kikyou..." Youko murmured as he felt the magic of the arrow flow through his veins. He tried to fight the wave of sleepiness that threatened to overcome him, but the pull was too strong. Soon his eyelids slid over his golden eyes and his head slumped down to his chest._

_Hiei glared at the arrow protruding from his chest before shifting it to the woman who shot him. "Kaede, why you..." He jolted as the magic pulsed through him and he fought against it. The imiko reached for his katana, but his finger went numb and his eyelids drooped before he fell into a peaceful slumber._

But in that battle, Kikyou and Kaede would lose their lives.

_"Ren..." Kikyou smiled softly, her eyes nearly lifeless as she drew in a ragged breath. "I'm sorry." Surcoming to her wounds, the miko fell to her side, her blood pooling around her as the jewel half rolled out of her hand and towards Ren._

_"NO! KIKYOU-ONEE-SAMA!" Ren screamed out, shaking her sister as if that will cause her eyes to open and she would be okay._

_Kaede kneeled next to her twin sister, the grief of losing her too strong. "Ren, we love you. Take care." Her heart throbbed painfully in her chest as her burned flesh finally took its toll on her body. Her hazel eyes lost all the light as she collapsed next to Kikyou._

_The dam holding back Ren's tears broke and they fell in streams down her face and she doubled over. 'KAEDE-ONEE-SAMA! NO!" She pounded her fists on the ground as she let out all her sorrows. Her sisters were dead! Gone and never coming back! Ren screamed when a village man picked her up, kicking and fighting as she demanded to be let down._

* * *

><p>Youko sat beneath his more favored tree that sat just outside the village. He had his eyes closed as he talked to Hiei through their mental link. <em>The demoness Urasue...she didn't just steal their ashes. I could also smell soil from the grave on her.<em>

_Just what is that witch up to?_ Hiei's voice ran through the kitsune's head.

"Ne, Youko!" Kagome's voice broke the fox from his conversation with the imiko. "Let's go." She smiled bright down at him when he looked up at her.

The silver kitsune arched a fine brow at the young woman as his golden eyes narrowed slightly. "And where are we going, I ask?" Unable to look her in the eyes any longer, he turned his head away from her.

Kagome sighed before carefully folding her skirt over her rear so that she could sit comfortably on the grass next to Youko. In her sweetest voice, she said, "Don't you feel sorry for Kikyou and Kaede; that their graves was desecrated?" she tilted her head to the side and peered up at him. "Can't you and Hiei forget that you were bitter enemies just this once. They died a long time ago, right?"

Youko spared her a single glance before he looked away with a soft growl.

"Hey!" she shouted as she grabbed a lock of his long hair. Kagome has had enough of his attitude! "I'm talking to you."

"What?" he said, his voice holding a hint of annoyance.

Kagome's cheeks turned red with her agitation as she tightened her hand around the silver tresses in her fingers. "Ever since yesterday, you've avoided looking me in the eyes! And I want to know why!"

Youko looked at her fully before quickly averting his eyes as emotions that he had not felt in a very long time gripped his heart. "It's nothing." He tried to turn his head from her, but was unable to because of her tight grip on his hair. He was about to tease her about it when her next words made him freeze.

"I get it now!" Kagome shouted angrily. "It's because I look like Kikyou! That's why you haven't looked at me!"

Hearing the name of the woman who betrayed him made something in Youko snap. His larger hand covered Kagome's small and delicate one and he removed it from his hair. "It's not..." his voice was a soft whisper. The kitsune watched the girl gaze curiously at their hands and he slowly intertwined their fingers together. He sighed and softened his tone even more as his normally cold and calculating eyes were warm. "It's not like that." Youko pulled her closer to his chest and used his free hand to tilt Kagome's face up. "It's not like that at all." Slowly, he inched his face closer to her.

A deep crimson blush highlighted Kagome's cheeks as Youko moved closer and closer to her, his lips dangerously close to hers. She could feel his breath on her lips. Her eyes widened when Youko's warm mouth brushed over hers and she panicked. Kagome frantically waved her hands in the air before shoving the kitsune away from her. "What are you doing!? Your teasing is going too far!" She clutched one hand to her pouncing heart and the other to her tingling lips. _'What was that?! He almost kissed me!'_

Snapping out of his daze, the spirit fox's eyes regained their usual cold and calculating look. "What are you doing?" he eyed the position that she was in.

"You're the reason why!" she replied, her body trembling slightly.

Youko arched a brow as he tilted his head in confusion. "What did I do?"

Kagome was about to tell him about almost kissing her when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. "Huh?" Looking over to see what it was she found the elderly priestess walking towards them with a horse. "Obaa-san?"

Ren tightened her old withered hands around the bow she held. "I am also a priestess. I will take back my sisters' ashes with my own hands. She cut her eye over to Youko, "Kurama, at least tell me in which direction Urasue went."

Youko narrowed her eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Babaa, you must have a death wish?"

Kagome gasped. "Youko!"

"There is only one way to find out." the old woman replied evenly.

Kaori, who caught the end of the conversation, ran over to Ren and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Obaa-san, you can't go by yourself!" She exclaimed and placed her hand delicately over the bandaged wound on the elderly miko's forehead. "You're in no condition to."

Hiei grabbed Kaori by the arm and drug her away from Ren with a scowl on his face. "It's useless to try to stop her."

Inuyasha sighed as he jumped off the roof of the hut he was sitting on and landed next to the elder sister. "That's why I hate dealing with old people."

The older sister shot the hanyou an annoyed glare as she shook Hiei's hand away. "Is that so?" She narrowed her eyes when Inuyasha looked at her with wide frightened eyes and a slow evil-looking smile tilted at her lips. "Osuwari." Kaori watched with satisfaction as the dark purple rosary around his neck flashed brightly before yanking the hanyou to the ground with enough force to leave a small crater.

Youko sighed and shook his head at the young demon before walking down the hill and grabbed the horse's reins from Ren's hands. "I suppose Hiei and I will go and retrieve their ashes."

Hiei followed after the kitsune and placed his hands in the pockets of his cloak. "And to bring your bones back as well."

Ren's single brown eye widened as a soft smile spread over his mouth. "Kurama, Jaganshi, I thank ye."

Kagome walked up next to Ren with her hands clasped together in a small plea. "Ne, Obaa-san, can we come along?"

The old miko arched a grey brow and looked over at the elder sister, who nodded in agreement. Ren smiled at the girls and nodded her head at them. Little Shippou popped out of the bushes and scampered over to Kagome, jumping onto her shoulder to show her all the acorns that he collected in the forest.

Kaori giggled at the small red fox before her eyes found Hiei walking a few meters ahead of them. She sighed as she placed a hand over her chest, feeling her rapid pulse over what transpired inside the hut. _'Hiei's eyes...they weren't seeing me, but seeing Kaede inside me.'_

* * *

><p>Kaori pulled the red blanket up higher on Ren's slumbering form. "Obaa-san's asleep." She turned around to find her other companions sitting by the fire. Shippou was curled up in Kagome's lap sound asleep and the elder sister smiled faintly. The little kit really has taken to her sister. Pulling around blanket out of the yellow bag, she covered Shippou with it.<p>

Hiei watched the kind act before saying. "Go to sleep, Onna. We attack tomorrow." He rested his katana against his shoulder and he folded one arm across the top of his knees. The imiko then closed his eyes and appeared to be sleeping, but the faint glow of his jagan eye signaled that his senses were still alert.

"So soon?" Kagome asked as she stroked her fingers through Shippou's soft tail.

Youko laid on his side and closed his eyes. "I can smell it. She's not far."

Kaori sat down next to Kagome and eyed Hiei curiously as he shifted in his sleep. Soon her thoughts drifted to when she first saw him sealed to the tree. He may have been under a spell, but to her it only looked like he was sleeping peacefully. She sighed wistfully as her mind replayed the scene that happened inside the hut earlier.

_Kaori walked into the hut after Hiei and grabbed him by his white scarf and made him look her in the eye. "Look, I know that you hate me because I look like Kaede, but that is not a legitimate reason for you to not help!"_

_Hiei merely looked at her with an unreadable expression as he snatched his scarf out of her hands. He sat down against the back wall and crossed his arms over the top of his knees. "It's none of your business, Onna."_

"_The hell it isn't!" she shouted as she stomped closer to him. "Ren-san has been nothing but kind to us and this is how you're going to repay her!" She nudged him with her foot bravely, earning a sharp glare from the imiko before he quickly looked away from her. "And another thing!" Kaori knelt and jabbed him in the shoulder. "Why haven't you looked me in the eyes?!"_

_The imiko glanced up at her before looking away with a soft growl of annoyance. "I said it's none of your business."_

_Kaori sighed. "Look can't you forget that I'm supposedly Kaede's reincarnation and go help Ren-san? After that you can go back to hating me." She reached over and placed her hand on top of his._

_Upon feeling her soft skin on his, Hiei was unable to stop the flood of feelings that he had carefully locked away. He quickly grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with hers, pulling Kaori against him. He then turned around so that her back was touching the wall, trapping her. Hiei hovered over her, his face so close that their noses almost touched. "That's not..." the apparition breathed as one of his hands wrapped around her lithe waist. His normally hard and cold carmine eyes were soft, almost warm as his tone became gentler. "That's not the reason." Hiei gazed into her clear grey tinted blue eyes almost lovingly._

_Kaori's face was bright red as she felt Hiei's hard body against hers. Her eyes widened when she saw him beginning to lower his face and at first she thought he was going to kiss her, but he merely buried his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder. Kaori gasped when she felt something wet run across her skin and flinched when she felt Hiei's hot breath and the sharp prick of his fangs. "Hiei!" she screamed as she mustered up enough strength to shove him away from her. "What the hell? You tried to bite me!"_

_The imiko blinked slowly as he rose to his feet. He eyed the position that the girl was in; one hand clamped over the left side of her neck and the other placed over her chest; and arched a dark brow. "What foolishness are you doing, Onna?"_

"_You're the one being a fool!" she exclaimed as she scrambled to her feet and ran out of the hut._

Kaori covered her still pounding heart with her hand and closed her eyes. _'Hiei's eyes were so warm when he looked at me. Those weren't the eyes of hatred.'_ She sighed as a faint blush entered her cheeks. The elder sister knew that there could have been a possibility that Hiei was actually in love with Kaede. But she did not like that he saw her as the deceased miko. Turning to lay her head down in Kagome's lap, Kaori fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>Shippou was the last to awaken as he stretched his tiny arms above his head and yawned cutely. He then stumbled over to the nearby pond and splashed some of the cool water on his face. The twins smiled at his cuteness before packing the remaining items into their bag. They heard Ren in the background announcing that they had to retrieve Kikyou and Kaede's ashes quickly.<p>

Lifting their hands in the air, the girls said, "Hai!"

As they continued to travel in the direction where Urasue's scent was the strongest, the sky began to darken unnaturally. Pitch black clouds hung low in the skies, lightning flashing within them. Ren tightened her hands on the reins of her horse and said, "I have a dreadful feeling about this."

Youko felt his eyes narrow at the elderly priestess as he crossed his arms over his chest. "If you did not want the ashes to be stolen, why did you not scatter them in the river."

Hiei nodded in agreement as he bluntly said, "Hn. You wanted to be sentimental and kept hanging onto them. See what happened."

Ren looked down at the two demons with a wry expression. "Kurama, Jaganshi, how do you feel about a grave?" she asked, chuckling softly when they merely arched a brow at her. "A grave is not simply a place to bury a body or ashes. A grave is necessary for the hearts of those who are left behind."

"What are you getting at?" Youko enquired.

The elderly miko went deep into her thoughts, a vision of her sisters standing on top of a hill with the wind blowing their long hair gently as they overlooked the village. "My sisters were born as miko, and they used their special powers for the good of the villagers." She remember just how strong her sisters looked when they were slaying demons and tending to the wounded. "They kept youkai away from the village and battle illness and famine countless times, encouraging the people around her. Even in their demise, the villagers have not weakened. They are resolved to live." Ren sighed. "However man is weak. Danger and uncertainty can weaken the heart. The grave as a place of reassurance. A place where the heart could find peace."

Kagome paused as she shifted sad eyes on the silver kitsune. Her heart began to race as her mind replayed the near kiss that she almost shared with Youko. She knew in her mind that the spirit fox must have been thinking about Kikyou, but... _'Youko...was he in love with Kikyou. But she shot an arrow at him and sealed him to a tree for fifty years. I feel really sorry for him.'_ She turned her eyes on the imiko and sighed. _'Hiei too.'_

Youko felt eyes on his being and turned back to see Kagome watching him with rather sad eyes. The longer she stared, the more agitated he began to feel. Finally having enough of her watchful gaze, he jumped into the air and landed gracefully on his feet in front of her. "Is something wrong? You've been looking at me quite strange." His silver tail twitched in irritation when she merely tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Why are you looking at me with such sad eyes?" Youko demanded.

"Oh!" the younger sister said as she laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "Gomen, I was just thinking nonsense."

He raised a finely arched brow. "Care to explain?"

"Uhm..." she lowered her head and twiddled her thumbs.

Youko crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes even further. "I'm waiting." He growled when she suddenly broke off in a sprint to catch up with her sister. Always one to enjoy a chase, Youko ran after her; he was slightly surprised at her speed. "Well, what were you thinking?" he asked when he caught up with her.

Kagome gave him an annoyed look. "Just drop it!"

* * *

><p>Urasue dropped out of the sky and landed in a kiln embedded into the mountain. She cackled as she slashed at the door that hid her prize. There inside was two clay containers baking in the fire. The youkai witch walked over to the closest one and smiled crookedly. "Now then! Let's see the result of my special magic. Kneading the earth from the grave with the ashes and baking it in my Youkai Kiln." She examined the container and saw that it was ready. "Looks good. Now then, the elder sister first." Urasue removed the olive branch from her hair and threw it on the clay container. "Let's see."<p>

The demoness swung her scythe in a wide arc and struck the container and cracked it. "Arise, Kikyou! Open your eyes!"

Slowly, a delicate hand broke free and grabbed the branch lying on her chest. A head of long dark hair flowed down her back like an ebony waterfall and slowly her eyelids veiled away to reveal her bright hazel-colored eyes. Kikyou has been revived. She gazed curiously around the room before her intense, yet gentle eyes landed on the demon witch.

Urasue smiled crookedly. "Kikyou, I have heard that as a miko, you and your sister foiled many attempts made by youkai to possess the Shikon no Tama. I also hear that the jewel is now shattered in fragments and that if a youkai manages to possess even a single shard it will double its power!" Her beady black eyes took on a power-hungry gleam. "I want it. I want every shard of the Shikon no Tama! Now, you will go and destroy every youkai who seeks it. Burn and destroy them! You will serve me, the one who brought you back to life! You will gather the shards of the Shikon no Tama for me!" Urasue pointed a long bony finger at Kikyou, sending a current of her youki and forcing the woman to stand. The youkai witch cackled as Kikyou slowly took a step forward, but she fell to the side when Urasue stopped the flow of power.

"Huh?" the witch said, confused. "What's this?" Taking a handful of the girl's long black hair, Urasue peered into her eyes and saw the lifeless look in them. "A soul? The soul hasn't returned! There is no way that my magic would fail to bring the soul back; unless..." she trailed off as anger and rage filled her body. "The soul has already been reincarnated in another body! Then all I made was a hollow shape in the form of Kikyou!" Urasue growled as she threw the soulless body away from her and on the hard ground. "Damn! Making me work so hard only to waste my time!" She sliced her eyes over to the other clay container and saw that it was finally ready. "You better not set me up for failure as well!"

* * *

><p>As the group continued to travel, they came upon a forest and there were many clay containers strew around. And frankly, it was quite creepy. To the twins it felt like that someone was going to pop out of the clay and attack them. Kagome cuddled Shippou closer to her chest while Kaori slid somewhat closer to Inuyasha and discreetly latched her fingers into his red billowing sleeve. Inuyasha noticed the small movement and smiled just a little bit while resisting the urge to wrap his arm around her shoulder to draw her closer to his body.<p>

Soon they exited the forest and came upon a long narrow bridge that connected the forest to the base of the mountain. The bridge, itself, looked like it was ready to collapse and the girls were wary to even put any type of weight on it.

"There it is." Hiei said nonchalant.

The twins went white in the face as the color there drained. "We have to actually cross that thing?!"

When the two demons nodded and walked to the bridge and began to cross it, the girls gave each other a look that said "who is gonna go first?" Kaori sighed when she saw that Kagome was not going to budge and bravely took that first step on the rickety old bridge. She heard her sister's timid steps and looked back over her shoulder at them.

"Are you okay, Kagome?" The wind picked up, howling in the deep valley below them and made Kaori hold onto the ropes tightly.

"Kowai!" Kagome screamed when she accidentally looked down and she gripped on the rope so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Youko stopped in his tracks and turned around so that he was facing the girls. "You don't have to come. Hiei and I will go in and get the ashes back."

The twins shot him a pointed glare. "Stop joking! We refuse to be left on a bridge like this!" they snapped.

"So come." Hiei drawled, his voice revealing his amusement as he and Youko began to move further away from the girls.

"Youko!"

"Hiei!"

"Wait up!" Kaori and Kagome said in unison.

Shippou ran in between Youko's legs and further up ahead when he noticed something up ahead. Narrowing his turquoise eyes, he saw what the obstacle was. "Youko-sama, there are more earthen dolls!" he pointed a tiny finger at the containers. He jumped back when the clay began to crack open to reveal the baked warrior inside. "What's going on?" Shippou summoned his Kitsune-bi and burned the nearest clay warrior.

Youko drew the seed needed for his Rose Whip and sliced through the warriors that were ganging up on Shippou. "Soldiers of the old youkai." He snapped his Rose Whip again and destroyed several move clay figures.

Kagome looked over her shoulder and saw that the clay containers that were in the forest had appeared behind them. She heard Kaori call out her name before she was yanked back and was saved from the clay soldier that was trying to attack her.

"Hiei!" Kaori called as she shielded her sister from the treat. "They're back here too!"

The imiko backflipped over the two girls and punched a nearby soldier. He threw them an annoyed look as he shook the clay residue from his fist. "They are simply made up of clay. Even with your feeble human strength, you can destroy them."

Shippou sat of Ren's uninjured shoulder. "Kitsune-bi!" as the bright blue flames destroyed some of the warriors, the old priestess used her bow to break the ones that survived the attack.

Kagome punched another clay warrior, shattering it into glittering ashes before shaking her fists to sooth the numbness that settled in her muscles. She looked back at her sister to see Kagome kick one of her legs out to trip one of the soldiers, causing it to fall back and shatter two more upon impact. They flashed each a wide smile and high-fived.

"They are not very strong." Youko growled as five more clay warriors replaced the ones he'd just destroyed. "But they are quite the nuisance because of their number."

* * *

><p>"Damn!" Urasue hissed. "Even Kaede's soul has been reincarnated! This makes me so mad! It's infuriating!" The sounds of her clay soldiers being destroyed alerted her to what was happening outside. "What's all this ruckus? Oh, I can't stand this! I'll go work off this frustration!" The demoness reached out and grasped the branch in Kaede's hand, but the girl refused to let of and held on tighter to it. "Give it back! This belongs to me!"<p>

The two soulless bodies tilted their heads to look outside, gazing intently at something. Urasue followed in suit and turned her head to stare at what the girls were looking at.

"Kao, behind you!" Kagome shouted, before driving the heel of her palm into the face of a clay warrior.

The elder sister smiled. "Thanks, Kags!" she then turned on the balls of her feet and punched another attacking soldier.

Urasue's beady eyes widened to their fullest extent. "What does this mean? Could it be...?" she trailed off as she flew out of her cave and hovered a few meters about the old bridge. The demon witch gazed at the twins and a crooked smile tilted at the corners of her lips. "The resemblance! Such a close resemblance! What a coincidence! Such good fortune!" she flew down just a little closer, her scythe already materialized in her hands. "Those faces! There's no mistake!" Urasue made herself known as she sliced the bridge down the middle and caused the unsuspecting group to fall.

"Youko!"

"Hiei!"

The twins screamed in terror as they plummeted down into the dark valley. Reaching out for Kagome, Kaori held on tightly to her younger sister and closed their eyes, waiting for the impact to happen. But it never came. Opening their eyes, they saw that they were hovering in the air. The girls looked up, thinking that Youko or Hiei had somehow saved them, but yelped in horror when they saw that it was an unknown demoness hoisting them up.

Shippou saw this and called out for the twins that he saw as his guardians. "Kagome! Kaori!"

"Obaa-san! Shippou-chan!" the girls cried out and began to struggle in the youkai witch's hold. "Let us go!"

Urasue's scythe came in close contact with their throats as her lips spread in a vile grin. "If I were to let you go, you'll fall to your death." She cackled loudly in the twin's ears. "And now that I've found my reincarnated souls, as if I'd let you go! I need you to fully resurrect Kikyou and Kaede!"

Kaori and Kagome's bright ashen blue eyes widened as they repeated the last part of Urasue's words. "Resurrect Kikyou and Kaede?"

-0-0-0

So sorry for the almost three month long wait! But I hope you, as my faithful readers, will stay by me until the very end! Until the next update!

P.S. How's you like the Youko/Kagome and Hiei/Kaori fluff I threw in there?

Ja!

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: (See first chapter)

* * *

><p>One Jewel, Two Souls<p>

* * *

><p><em>Recap:<em>

_"Damn!" Urasue hissed. "Even Kaede's soul has been reincarnated! This makes me so mad! It's infuriating!" The sounds of her clay soldiers being destroyed alerted her to what was happening outside. "What's all this ruckus? Oh, I can't stand this! I'll go work off this frustration!" The demoness reached out and grasped the branch in Kaede's hand, but the girl refused to let of and held on tighter to it. "Give it back! This belongs to me!"_

_The two soulless bodies tilted their heads to look outside, gazing intently at something. Urasue followed in suit and turned her head to stare at what the girls were looking at._

_"Kao, behind you!" Kagome shouted, before driving the heel of her palm into the face of a clay warrior._

_The elder sister smiled. "Thanks, Kags!" she then turned on the balls of her feet and punched another attacking soldier._

_Urasue's beady eyes widened to their fullest extent. "What does this mean? Could it be...?" she trailed off as she flew out of her cave and hovered a few meters about the old bridge. The demon witch gazed at the twins and a crooked smile tilted at the corners of her lips. "The resemblance! Such a close resemblance! What a coincidence! Such good fortune!" she flew down just a little closer, her scythe already materialized in her hands. "Those faces! There's no mistake!" Urasue made herself known as she sliced the bridge down the middle and caused the unsuspecting group to fall._

_"Youko!"_

_"Hiei!"_

_The twins screamed in terror as they plummeted down into the dark valley. Reaching out for Kagome, Kaori held on tightly to her younger sister and closed their eyes, waiting for the impact to happen. But it never came. Opening their eyes, they saw that they were hovering in the air. The girls looked up, thinking that Youko or Hiei had somehow saved them, but yelped in horror when they saw that it was an unknown demoness hoisting them up._

_Shippou saw this and called out for the twins that he saw as his guardians. "Kagome! Kaori!"_

_"Obaa-san! Shippou-chan!" the girls cried out and began to struggle in the youkai witch's hold. "Let us go!"_

_Urasue's scythe came in close contact with their throats as her lips spread in a vile grin. "If I were to let you go, you'll fall to your death." She cackled loudly in the twin's ears. "And now that I've found my reincarnated souls, as if I'd let you go! I need you to fully resurrect Kikyou and Kaede!"_

_Kaori and Kagome's bright ashen blue eyes widened as they repeated the last part of Urasue's words. "Resurrect Kikyou and Kaede?"_

* * *

><p>Hiei and Youko dug their feet into the side of the cavern, sliding down to bottom of the valley. The kitsune looked up and saw Urasue quickly making her escape with the twins and a low growl formed in his chest. How could they allow that witch to snatch them away from right under their noses? They should not have allowed them to come. Especially since the girls were supposedly the reincarnations of the dead miko.<p>

A few minutes later, Inuyasha landed rather ungracefully on his feet and glanced around, searching for signs of Kaori and her sister. "Where's Kaori and Kagome?" A dark shadow formed around the hanyou and he looked up to see what it was. His mouth dropped open when a gigantic-sized leaf fell from the sky and before Inuyasha could react, the leaf crushed him.

Sitting unharmed on top of it was Shippou and Ren. "Youko-sama! Hiei! You're okay!" the kit chirped happily before noticing that they were missing a member of the group. "Where's Inuyasha? Is he alright?"

Ren stood up and walked off the leaf, accidentally stepping on the fallen hanyou's fingers. "He wouldn't die so easily."

Hiei allowed an amused smirk to tug at his lips as he watched Inuyasha slowly crawl out from under the giant leaf and began to nurse his hurt hand. He growled when he noticed the several of the clay soldiers that were slowly trying to surround them. Placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, he snarled, "Still haven't had enough?"

Inuyasha gripped Tessaiga's hilt before pulling the demonic blade from its sheath. "Honestly, they are a just a fuckin' bother! Tessaiga!"

Once all the clay warriors were destroyed, courtesy of Tessaiga, Youko's Rose Whip, and Hiei's flame-based attacks. The disarrayed group finally took the time to talk about their missing companions. Inuyasha roared with anger at hearing that Kaori had been kidnapped and grabbed Hiei by his scarf. Shippou was the one who calmed the irate hanyou down by explaining that Urasue stole them away.

Inuyasha threw Hiei away from him with a scoff and lifted his nose in the air. "At least they didn't fall to their deaths." Even though his voice did not show it, the hanyou was very worried about the two young women who have become his companions and was glad that they were not dead.

Ren walked over to the broken bodies of the clay warriors and shuffled through the remains with her bow. When she shifted the clay around, bones and a bluish light floated out of it. "Souls..." she said grimly.

Youko watched the glowing orbs with narrowed eyes before he glanced over to the elderly miko for answers. "Ren-babaa, what's going on here?"

"Human souls were being used to move these puppets." Ren explained as she knelt on one knee, grabbing a handful of the clay soldier's broken body. "Not only that, but bones have also been baked into them." She held up her hand to show off the small bits of white bone.

Inuyasha arched one of his black brows. "Bones?" he said in a questioning tones as more bluish balls of light floated in the sky.

Ren rose to her feet and hobbled over to cliff face, a determined shine in her brown eye. "She uses bones, that Urasue. Bones and Souls." She tripped over a stone and quickly used her bow to steady herself. Shippou cried out for her and ran over and placed his hands on her legs. "She stole Kikyou and Kaede, my sisters' remains and now have captured Kagome and Kaori." Ren winced as she gripped her wounded shoulder.

"Don't strain yourself." Youko's voice made the old priestess pause in her steps. "Hiei and I will recover their remains for you."

The elderly miko turned around to look at the two full-blooded demons, her gaze grim. "We haven't much time, I fear. We may be meeting my sisters again soon."

Hiei's carmine-colored eyes widened slightly at the old woman's confession. "Meeting Kaede?"

"And Kikyou?" Youko's right hand subconsciously gripped his chest where the sacred arrow was embedded and growled softly.

Ren looked up the cliff at the kiln that was perched at the very top of the mountain. "If Urasue uses her youkai magic to reincarnate my sisters, they will be formidable foes. We have to stop her."

* * *

><p>Kagome scrunched her nose up at the green liquid that the withered old demon was pouring into the tub that the younger sister was placed in. It smelled decrepit! Like the herbs that her grandfather rubs on his feet to ward off aches. "What do you think you're doing?" She pulled at the bindings around her wrists and glared at the youkai witch.<p>

Urasue sneered at the younger twin. "You're a noisy one." She lifted the urn to stop the flow of water. "There. You have enough." Then the witch moved over to the rub that held Kaori and began to fill it with the fluid as well.

Kaori wrinkled her nose in disgust as the scent of the green water reached her. "Oh God! What the hell is in this water?" she shouted as she felt it soak through her clothes and Kaori knew that she would have to burn this outfit. Scowling, she said. "It reeks of those herbs that Jii-chan rubs on his feet!"

Slowly, moving on dainty bare feet, the two golem bodies of the undead priestesses walked out of the cave. They each wore a white haori that had sleeves that flowed down past their wrists and long red hakamas. Their eyes were dull as they stared at the two girls laying the pool of green water as they took their place on either side of Urasue.

"Who? Who are they?" the twins asked as they gazed at the two beautiful women. They had flawless alabaster-white skin and long, rich black hair that fell past their slim waists. Large, doll-like hazel eyes that rested above a petite nose and rosy lips finished off their astonishing beauty.

Urasue beamed up at the two girls and praised them. "You've gotten dressed." She looked them up and down and nodded. "You look quite pretty in your miko clothing. Your bodies are baked of human remains and graveyard soil; all I need to do now is place souls within you." The demoness smiled crookedly.

Kaori gaped, her mouth falling open, but she quickly snapped it shut when the foul-smelling water threatened to enter. "Souls?"

The demon witch looked back at the twins laying in the tubs. "The herbs will soon cause your souls to leave your body. I will have you return them; Kikyou and Kaede's souls."

Kagome's greyish-blue eyes widened as she raised her head as much as she could to look at her twin in concern. _'Kikyou and Kaede's souls?'_ She glanced over at the two pretty girls standing next to the witch. _'Does that mean that they are the fabled twin miko?'_

* * *

><p>The small disarrayed group quickly scaled the cliff face. Inuyasha had volunteered to carry Ren on his back only because Youko and Hiei had already began leaping up the side of the ledge, leaving him behind. A frown marred his face as he leapt onto the rock above of him, rather heavily, and Ren winced in pain.<p>

Shippou saw this and reprimanded the hanyou. "Can't you be more gentle, Inuyasha!" he said as he looked at the elderly woman with large concerned eyes. "Maybe Youko-sama or Hiei should carry Ren-obaa-san instead!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the little red fox before baring his fangs at him. "Well, excuse me. I thought time was critical!"

"Kit, stop bothering the hanyou." Youko's stern voice scolded Shippou. "Ren-babaa wishes to get there immediately." He leapt up the side of the cliff a few more meters, the kiln almost in sight.

Ren nodded her head as she tightened her grip on Inuyasha's shoulders. "Kurama is right. Forget about me and my injuries and just get me up there quickly!

The hanyou shot Shippou an irritated look before leaping up higher on the cliff.

Shippou ignored the Inu's look of agitation and glanced up at the kiln that was steadily getting closer. As they got closer to their destination, his worry for his kind guardians grew. _'We do need to hurry or their souls will be taken!'_ He scampered up the rocky surface, his tiny claws digging into the stone.

* * *

><p>Kagome struggled against her bindings. The weird smelling water was starting to make her feel nauseous; like she needed to throw up or worse. She glanced over at her sister and saw how she was struggling to keep her eyes open as her green liquid slowly started glowing. Growling, Kagome snapped, "Look! How many times do I have to say it for you to understand! My sister and I are not just some reincarnation!"<p>

Kaori fought to keep her eyes open. The water was starting her feel uneasy and queasy. "How the hell are you going to take responsibility if you're wrong, huh!" the elder sister growled low in her chest, adrenaline keeping her awake.

Urasue looked over the girls with a questioning gaze. How were they still able to talk and move? Her potent herbs should have rendered them unconscious by now. A bright pink glow caught her eyes and she smiled crookedly as the witch recognized the light. "What good fortune! You're carrying a shard of the Shikon no Tama. I will take it." Urasue reached out for Kagome's neck, ignoring the girl's cries, but she was thrown back by a translucent barrier that surrounded the two girls. "A barrier?"

The barrier grew tremendously in size, several balls of light zipping around at an angry pace. Urasue's eyes widened as she read the movements and deduced that Kikyou and Kaede's souls were enraged, the fabled twin miko were mad with rage. She glanced over at the two soulless bodies. For the souls to refuse separation this much, they must have went through a hellish experience in their past life.

'_Youko. Hiei. Please come quickly!'_ The twins begged silently.

The older priestesses simply glanced over at the barrier with blank looks on their heavenly faces. Their hazel eyes remained low even as Youko and Hiei leapt up the the grounds. The two demons froze on the spot when they saw the women who betrayed them all those years ago and immediately began to growl. They stopped only when they noticed that the miko were merely staring at them with blank expressions.

Inuyasha appeared a few seconds later, letting Ren off his back. When the elderly women saw her once deceased sisters, she called out for them, misery tangible on her tongue. It pained her to see her sisters once again, brought back by unfair measures.

Kaori turned her head at the sound of the sudden commotion, her ears picking up the sound of the old miko. "Obaa-san? Hiei?"

"Youko? Obaa-san?" Kagome said as she struggled to lift her heavy head.

Urasue sneered at her intruders. "So, you're still alive." she tilted her head to the side when two of the demons, the imiko and silver kitsune, ignored her in favor of looking at her two creations.

The spirit fox took a small step forward, his voice a soft whisper as the feeling that were once locked deep within his heart broke free. "Are you really..." he trailed off.

A tender, almost soft look entered Hiei's eyes as he stared at the one woman, who changed his life around, sitting casually against the wall of the cave.

"_Don't say it." _ Two voices echoed inside the barrier, making the twins gasp. _"Do not call out our name."_

"Kikyou..." Youko said softly.

"Kaede." Hiei said just as softly.

The twins' eyes snapped open as their bodies jerked, making the water slosh around in the tub. The barrier that held their souls shattered to pieces. The glowing white orbs flew out, leaving Kagome and Kaori's bodies.

Urasue clapped happily as she grinned. "They are finally leaving! The barrier has broken the moment you called out their name. It made their hearts skip a beat and now Kikyou and Kaede's souls sprang forth!"

The orbs of light flew towards their original owners, slamming into them with enough force to lift them into the air. As the light faded into the bodies of Kikyou and Kaede, they were bathed in a white glow as they landed gently on their small bare feet. Slowly, soft hands moved to touch their faces, feeling the warmth of blood flowing through their cold veins.

Inuyasha's amber eyes widened as a soft whine left his throat. "Their souls have entered Kikyou and Kaede's bodies."

Ignoring everyone else, Shippou ran over to the stone tube that held the twins and shook them, trying to wake them up. Tears stung at the corners of his eyes when he felt their cold skin under his fingers. "Please!" he sobbed, cuddling to Kagome's chest. "Wake up! Open your eyes!"

The demoness chuckled softly at the kit's actions. "Without their souls, they are merely empty shells. I'll preserve them in miso and eat them later." She cackled when Shippou bared his tiny fangs at her and hissed.

Ren glared at the youkai witch, her teeth gritted with her anger. "Urasue." she growled. "You dared to use my sisters' bones..."

"Exactly!" Urasue cut the elderly priestess off. I have used my powers to turn their remains into flesh and blood!" She opened her arms for the two miko, welcoming them into her embrace. "You can say that I am their birth mother. They will do anything I ask of them." she smiled when the two walked to her. "Now, then, Kikyou and Kaede. First you will use your powers to kill these interfering..." Urasue paused when the twin miko each placed a hand on her shoulders. Powerful blasts of purification sparked from the hands of the twin priestess, blowing Urasue's body apart. The demoness head rolled to the ground, her eyes wide with shock, "Idiots...Not me..."

The two sisters gritted their teeth with hatred as they growled out, "You dragged us out." They slowly let their hands fall from the charred body of the youkai witch, their eyes still closed. "We did not intend to wake up again..." their voices were the softest of whispers.

"Onee-sama..." Ren said softly as she gazed at her sisters.

"You..." the silver kitsune and imiko said cautiously. "You're really Kikyou and Kaede, aren't you?"

At the sound of Youko and Hiei's voice, the girls slowly opened their eyes, revealing their beautiful hazel irises. Kikyou looked over at the man she once had feelings for and whispered his name in the softest of voices. Kaede merely glanced at Hiei with tears sparkling on her lashes as she took a staggering step closer to him.

"Youko..." Kikyou said once more, moving closer to the kitsune.

"Hiei..." Kaede whispered as she placed her hands on the apparition's chest.

Suddenly, the twin miko's eyes darkened with hatred as they shouted simultaneously. "Why did you betray us!" As those words left their confines of their lips, purification sparkled on their fingertips. Once the burning feeling of the priestess' powers touched their skin, the two demons' reflectively jumped back to a much safer distance.

Hiei snarled low in his chest as he glared at Kaede. "You're saying that I betrayed you?!"

Kaede returned the glare with just as much hatred. "You said that you would change for me!"

Just as the younger of the twins screamed out those words a red glow emitted from Kikyou's back as a black one surrounded around Kaede's right arm. The twins let out a whimper of pain and once the glow stopped, there was a wide gash across the width of Kikyou's back that extended up to her left shoulder. Kaede, however, had serious burns on her right arm that stretched across her chest, charring the skin black.

Youko and Hiei's eyes widened at the serious injuries that suddenly appeared on the women's bodies. "What's going on? Where did those wounds come from?"

"Kurama, Jaganshi, are those not the fatal wounds you inflicted on my sisters'?" Ren questioned, her memory of the event fresh in her mind. She could never forget that fateful day.

Hiei sliced his red eyes over the old priestess, his voice low. "Are you trying to say that we killed them?"

Ren nodded, clearly unaffected by the glare that the two demons were gracing her with. "That is correct. Those wounds were the cause of my sisters' death."

Youko placed his hand on Hiei's shoulder, restricting the imiko's movement when he noticed the stance he was in. After giving the apparition a stern look, Youko said, "We did no such thing."

The elderly priestess' good eye widened at the youkai's confession. She knew that those were not ones to lie. It was against their code. Youko and Hiei may be notorious thieves, but they were honest men. "Then..." she gasped, gazing at her older sisters. "If you did not cause the wounds that killed my sisters. Then who did?"

Kikyou bowed her head, her long straight bangs hiding her eyes. "Stop with the lies, Youko. I thought you were an honest man."

"It's very unbecoming of you, Hiei." Kaede snapped icy hazel eyes on the two youkai, her teeth gritted in a snarl. "You said that you would change for us! To stop stealing and act as humanly as possible for us!" she yelled.

Inuyasha burst out in a series of jerky bark-like laughs as he doubled over and held his stomach with one hand. "Youko and Hiei..." he managed between chuckles. "Stop stealing and become humanly as possible! That's a laugh!" the hanyou was practically rolling on the ground with his laughter.

Kikyou turned a deadly glare at the Inu. "You stay out of this, Hanyou!"

With his ears pressed flat against his skull and fangs bared, Inuyasha growled out, "Bitch!"

Kaede ignored the bickering between her older sister and the hanyou in favor of looking at Hiei with sadden hazel eyes. Her voice was soft as she used her old pet name, "Hi-kun..." She took a step towards him, her small hand stretched out. "Why did you betray me?"

Hiei felt his tensed stance relax at hearing the name Kaede called him in the past. It pulled at his heartstrings to see the sad look in her beautiful eyes. "Kaede, I did not betray you. Why are you even suggesting such a thing?"

"Because, it was you." the young miko said softly as she stepped up to the imiko, her hands hovering above his arms as if she was scared to touch him. "I had gathered the last of my strength and sealed you to the tree with an arrow." Kaede touched his left cheek tenderly with her fingertips. "Hi-kun."

"Kaede?" Even though his mind was telling for him to get away from the priestess, his body refused and almost leaned into her gentle touch. This was his Kaede. The one woman that he could trust. The only woman that he...

The younger twin's hands traveled down his face to gently touch his forearms. Her fingers tightened in the material of his black cloak. "Hiei." She said sweetly even as he eyes lost their sad, tender look and gained a cold, hard glare. "We were never supposed to meet again!" Kaede screamed as purification seeped through her fingers and burning Hiei."

With an enraged growled, the imiko shoved the priestess away from him and jumped away to a much safer distance. His carmine-colored eyes were narrowed into a death glare as he said, "Why you.." the threat lingered in the air when he heard the pained howls of his partner-in-crime. Turning his head slightly, he saw that the elder miko had trapped Youko in the same trap as Kaede did him.

"Please stop this, Onee-sama!" Ren cried as she rushed over to Kikyou and grabbed her by the arm.

Kikyou snatched her arm away from the unfamiliar woman, her eyes narrowed into a scrutinizing gaze. "Who are you?"

Ren bowed her head respectfully. "I am your younger sister, Ren." she explained. "I have lived fifty years since your untimely death."

The elder sister blinked, the image of the old woman replaced by the smiling face of her youngest sister. A feeling of warmth touched her cold heart until she remember that Ren was stopping her from extracting her revenge. "Why are you stopping me? Have you been bewitched by these demons?" She rose to her feet and glared down at her sister. "Why do you protect them? Those youkai deceived Kaede and I, wounded us, and stole the Shikon no Tama." Turning her glare at the kitsune, Kikyou spoke in a bitter tone. "Youko, you said that you would stop stealing and live in the village with me. I believed those words."

Kaede walked over to her elder sister and continued where she left off. "But on the day we promised to meet up, Kikyou was attacked by a sharp whip as I felt a burning sensation erupting from my chest and arm." She touched the blacken skin of her right arm, the pain no longer affecting her. "Then we heard your voices, cold and mocking. Telling us that you never had any intention of stop thieving and living in the village with us."

"It was then that you revealed your plan to kill everyone in the village to let the jewel absorb more hatred and blood." Kikyou finished with a hard glare. "You betrayed us." Her gaze dropped to the bow strapped haphazardly across Ren's back and she quickly snatched it along with an arrow. Before anyone had a chance to react, Kikyou fired at the arrow at the two demons.

With quick reflexes, Youko and Hiei managed to avoid the holy arrow. The kitsune lowered his head so that his long straight bangs fell into his eyes. "Kikyou."

"Ren, give me another arrow." the older sister demanded.

"But, Onee-sama," Ren tried to speak as she held the quiver of arrows close to her chest.

Kaede cut the old woman off with a harsh glare. "Ren, you dare to disobey your older sister's request. Do you not share our blood?" She forcibly took the quiver from her elderly younger sister. Her eyes then spotted the wakizashi that was strapped the old priestess' back and she took that as well. After giving Kikyou the arrows, she unsheathed the blade and lunged at Hiei. "You will not revive this time!"

Kikyou pulled the string taut, aiming the sharp metal tip at Youko. "You won't avoid this one!"

Ren gave her sisters one last look of hurt before tending to the two young women that Shippou had managed to pull from the stone tubs that they were floating in. Her good eye widened when she took note of how pale they were compared to their once fairly tanned complexion. She pulled Kagome's head into her lap and adjusted Kaori so that she was leaning comfortably against her uninjured shoulder. Little Shippou scampered over to the elderly woman and hopped onto Kagome's lap.

"Ren-obaa-san, what's going to happen to Kagome and Kaori?" His voice was strained from all his crying and his face was dirty with dried tears.

"So long as my sisters hold onto their hatred, their souls will not be at ease. And if Kagome and Kaori's souls are not returned, then they will never wake up again." the old woman said in a soft, heartbroken voice.

Hiei dodged left and right as he avoided the holy blade of the sword in Kaede's grip. "I was not lying, Kaede. I did wish to be with you." he said in a tender voice before grabbing her wrist in a tight hold, forcing the younger twin to lose his grip on the hilt of the sword.

Kikyou fired her arrow at Youko and it flew with deadly precision. The kitsune growled low in his chest before calling for his Rose Whip. The sharp thorns of the whip easily cut through the thin wood, but the holy energy of the arrow caused it to revert back into a rose, but one of the stray thorns flew towards Kikyou and broke the bow in her hands. "Kikyou." Youko called out as he leapt through the air. "Please listen to me. I still wish to change for you." He landed in front of and wrapped his hands tightly around her delicate wrists.

"What are you doing?" the twins echoed as they stared hatefully into the eyes of their captors. "And don't try to play innocent. It was you. You were the one who tore into our bodies with your attacks." They saw the defiant look in the demons' eyes and tears brimmed in their. "Don't say a word! We were damn fools! For just a moment, we'd thought we wanted to be with you!"

Upon hearing those words, something in the kitsune and hybrid snapped. The two youkai quickly wrapped their arms around the women in a tight embrace. "Will you just stop talking for one moment!" they snapped. Youko and Hiei held the miko gently in their arms, treating them like they were made of glass. "We would never have betrayed you. We cared for you entirely too much to even think of that."

The tears that had built up behind their lashes spilled down their cheeks in silent rivers as the twins relaxed into the youkai's hold.

Inuyasha, who had slipped past the fighting couples and was now holding Kaori close to his chest, arched a black brow. "Have they finally calmed down?"

Kikyou sighed as she placed her small hands on the kitsune's chest. "Let go, Youko."

"It's too late, Hiei." Kaede said as her thin finger clutched the material of his cloak once more.

The two demons scented the holy energy that was about to seep through the women's fingers and quickly pushed them away just as the purification shot out. Turning sad glares at the two young women, they watched as they slowly rose to their small feet.

"We detested you, at the moment of our deaths." They said in unison, their voices merging into one. "Our souls cannot move beyond that. As long as you live, we cannot rest!" Kikyou and Kaede said, glaring at the demons with hate-filled eyes.

Ren lowered her eyes as she cradled Kagome's limp body in her arms. While she loved her sisters dearly, they should have remained asleep inside the bodies of their reincarnations. "Kurama, Jaganshi, I want you to break my sisters' bodies. Their rebirth is nothing but a sham. You must release her soul from within."

Kikyou sighed softly as she grabbed Kaede's hand. "That will be of no use. Unless out hatred disappears, our souls cannot return to those bodies either." Her tone turned bitter as her and her sister's conjoined hands lit up with holy energy. "Youko! Hiei! Only your death will!"

Suddenly Kagome's body jolted in Ren's arms as her eyes snapped open, her pupils constricted so much that her grey-blue irises were the only thing seen. Her body floated up into the air and began to pulsate. Kikyou halted in her steps as the first glowing white orb shot out of her body. The elder miko crossed her arms over her chest as if that would stop her soul from leaving her body. _'My soul is being dragged out!'_ "No! This can't be happening!" She slumped to the ground as the white orbs were pulled back into Kagome's body.

As the last of the white souls entered the younger Higurashi's body, Kaori snapped her eyes open as she jolted in Inuyasha's arms. The hanyou tightened his arms around her slender waist so that she would not float away. Kaede's eyes widened when the white orbs began to fly out of her body and back into the older Higurashi sister. Inuyasha watched her pupils began to dilate and focus until he stared into her clear grey tinted eyes. "Inuyasha?"

The hanyou said nothing as he crushed the young woman against his chest. "You're back."

Kaori merely blinked in confusion and let Inuyasha hold her. Her eyes trailed over to the two beautiful women slumped on the ground.

"They managed to call our souls back." the twin miko whispered out softly as their eyes glazed over. "They truly are our reincarnations." Upon the closing of their eyes, trails of glittering of light formed around their bodies and lifted them into the air. The glittering trails slowly materialized into long, eel-like bodies, but faces of insects. "We need to distance ourselves from those girls lest they steal the remainder of our souls."

"Kikyou!" Youko yelled as he struggled to stand. "You can't keep going on like this."

Hiei had used his sword to rise to his feet. "Kaede, where are you going? You must return to the onna completely."

The twins gazed sadly down at the two demons, their lips upturned in a soft smile. "Are you telling us to die then? If we return to those girl, we will no longer be ourselves. Is that what you desire?" They laughed at the dumbfounded looks on the kitsune and hybrid's faces. "The day that we die, you will come with us." With those words still lingering in the air, the creatures carried the two miko off into the unknown.

Hiei and Youko clenched their fists angrily. "What the hell has this come to?"

* * *

><p>Kagome stretched her arms above her head and let out a satisfied sigh when the bones of her spine popped. She then knelt beside the small stream of clean, cool water and cupped her hands in it. The young priestess-in-training took a sip of the water and grinned happily. "It tastes great."<p>

Kaori could not help but to giggle at her little sister's antics. It was like Kagome was a young girl again and Kaori found it to be cute. Cupping some of the water into her own hands, she took a small drink. The cool water easing the burn of thirst in her throat. It did taste great! Flashing her twin a grin, they both took eager sips.

Shippou sat next to the younger sister, his eyes watching them warily. He was so scared that they were fully okay since a part of their souls were still missing. Their skin was still paler than usual and sometimes their eyes would take on a faraway look. "Are you going to be alright now?" he asked.

"Thank you for worrying about us, Shippou-chan." Kagome smiled as she placed her hand on top of her head and ruffled his hair affectionately.

Kaori sent the kit a bright smile. "We're fine, Shippou-chan."

The little red fox nodded his head slowly and splashed his face with some of the cold water.

Kagome glanced over at her sister and they seemed to share their thoughts. _'The only thing that has changed is that after their run-in with Kikyou and Kaede. They still won't look us in the face.'_

With a determined shine in her eyes, Kaori stood to her feet and grabbed Kagome's hand. "Come on, we've let them mope around for far too long." Together they walked over to where the spirit fox and apparition was standing, staring off into space.

_They died because of us, Fox. _Hiei said through their mental link.

Youko sighed as crossed his arms over his chest. _I know, Hiei. It was hard for me to see Kikyou again. I still cannot believe that Kagome is her reincarnation._

_The same for me and Kaede. _Hiei felt his heart beat painfully in his chest as he remembered the hatred in her hazel eyes when she was trying to purify him. _Will we ever be able to truly forget them?_

_Only time will tell, my friend. Though I doubt this will be the last we see of them. They still have a small piece of the girls' souls. _ Youko rationalized.

Before Hiei could reply, they felt the presence of the young women that they were travelling with behind them. Neither of the demons bothered to turn around to acknowledge the twins. Which greatly annoyed the two sisters. The Higurashi twins marched over to them and stood in front of the youkai, but Youko and Hiei still refused to look at them. Kaori placed her hands on her hips and let out a small growl. Just because their souls tied they to Kikyou and Kaede did not mean they were their incarnations!

"Let's get one thing straight. You don't have to treat us any differently. Kagome and I are still ourselves." Kaori said while glaring at the two demons.

Youko turned his head away from the twins, a snide smile on his lips. "Of course. You don't resemble Kikyou or Kaede at all."

Hiei grunted in agreement.

Kagome rolled her eyes before taking her sister's hand and slowly began to walk away. "That so." she hummed. "Sometimes you look at us with desire in your eyes, despite what you say."

It was not even two seconds before the youkai had caught up to the twins, grabbing them by the shoulders and glaring at them directly in the eyes. "When have we ever..." they began but the light giggles of the girls made them pause.

Kaori and Kagome smiled brightly. "Finally got you to look us in the face." They said as they giggled once more before walking back over to the small stream with Shippou and Inuyasha.

Shippou jumped into Kagome's arms the second she was close to him and snuggled deeper into her embrace, "Are Youko-sama and Hiei okay now, too."

Before either of the girls could answer, Inuyasha snorted, placing his hands in his billowing sleeves. "If the short bastard and that weasel want to sulk after seeing their dead girlfriends, then let them."

The kitsune tyke growled softly at the disrespect that the hanyou was displaying about Youko and Hiei. He leapt out of Kagome's arms quickly to punch Inuyasha in the back of the head before hiding back in the younger sister's embrace. "Don't insult Youko-sama and Hiei, boke!"

"Itee." Inuyasha muttered before reaching out and yanking the kit out of Kagome's arms by his tail. "What was that for, ya lil' pipsqueak!?" He raised his own fist and prepared to bury it in Shippou's skull.

"Osuwari." Kaori said causing the rosary around the hanyou's neck to flash brilliantly and slam him into the ground. She bent down and opened her arms for Shippou, holding him close to her chest. "Stop bullying Shippou-chan, Inuyasha."

Shippou stuck his tongue out at the hanyou and snuggled closer to Kaori when Inuyasha growled at him.

Kagome covered his lips with her hand to hide the smile that was forming. The Inu Hanyou's crush on her sister was so obvious that it was hilarious. _'Inuyasha likes my sister entirely too much.'_

* * *

><p>A man with black hair tied back into a small dragon's tail at the base of his neck began to disrobe and step into the acidic waters of the springs. He sighed in pleasure as the warm waters relaxed his tensed muscles. It was hard work pawning off all those spoils that he swindled from a wealthy lord. He pounded a fist over the bunched up muscles in his shoulder. "After all that and it only fetched a small price." He held up a small pink shard and smiled lightly. "I suppose this jewel shard was the only item worth anything."<p>

Behind him, the man heard the voices of two women. They cheered about spotting the large hot spring that he was currently bathing in. A small perverse smile tilted at his lips as he peered around the boulder. He watched as the young women undressed and slipped into the warm waters of the spring with identical looks of bliss. One of them stretched their arm above their head while the other girl waded over to the boulder he was hiding behind.

"This feels glorious!" they said with a pleased sigh.

'_Young women...'_ His eyes traveled down the girls' lovely faces, drinking in their beauty before heading down further south. His gaze stopped when he saw the giant pinkish shard tied to one of the girl's neck. _'That's a shard of the Shikon no Tama and it's huge.'_ the man started to move forward when the women spoke.

"Don't you dare peek!" they shouted.

He hid back behind the boulder, his heart racing at the thought of being caught. Then he realised that they should not be able to see him from their position. And his accusation was confirmed when he heard the distinct sound of male voices.

Hiei grunted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You needn't worry, your feeble body doesn't interest me."

"Kagome, I may be a kitsune, but I do have standards." Youko teased. "Unless you are inviting me in?" He chuckled at the girl's quick denial answer.

Inuyasha said nothing as he glared at the ground. He was still upset that Kaori said his incantation when Shippou was the one who had hit him first. _'I wouldn't mind looking, if it were just Kaori.'_ A red tint entered his cheeks at his slightly perverted thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Shippou shedding off his robe. "What are you doing, runt?"

The kit started for the springs. "I'm going in too!"

"Hold it!" Inuyasha grabbed hold of the kitsune's fluffy blonde tail

Shippou pouted. "And why should I? I know for a fact that you wanna go in!"

Hiei felt his brow twitch in irritation as the little kitsune's words reached him. He tightened his hand around the hilt of his katana. "What was that?" he snarled under his breath.

Inuyasha glanced over at the forbidden child with wary eyes before glaring down at Shippou. "Shut up, runt!"

Shippou leaning in closer to the hanyou, his hand coming up to his lips as he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Just between me and you," he said with a sneaky glimmer in his turquoise eyes. "Exactly how far do you want to do with Kaori?"

The hanyou, not seeing the glint in the smaller kitsune's eyes, looked away nervously. He glanced at Hiei and hoped that the imiko did not hear what Shippou asked of him. Truthfully, Inuyasha wished for Kaori to become his mate so that he could cherish her kindness and smile for the rest of their lives. She was the first to overlook the nature of his blood and accept him for who is he. Inuyasha truly felt that Kaori was the key to his happiness. If only that bastard, Hiei, was not around to prevent it from happening sooner.

"So, you are afraid of Hiei?" Shippou smirked at the obvious nervousness that overcame the hanyou and crossed his arms.

Inuyasha growled low in his throat as he reached out and grabbed Shippou by the face. Pinching the round part of his cheeks, the hanyou pulled them painfully between his claws. "Me? Afraid of that half-pint bastard! You little runt, I almost said something that I shouldn't have!"

Shippou whined in pain as his cheeks were being stretched way beyond their normal elasticity. "Itai! Itai! Itai! I won't ask again! I promise!"

Kaori waded around in the onsen for a while, letting the warm waters caress her aching muscles before sitting on the stone ledge next to her sister. She sighed as she watched Kagome close her eyes and tilt her head back against the boulder. She knew exactly what her twin was thinking because she was thinking the same thing. They were not the beauties that Kikyou and Kaede were. Compared to their incarnations, Kaori and Kagome were plain janes. But that still gave those ignorant demons any right to be so cold towards them.

Kagome sunk deeper into the water until only her eyes were above the gentle wave; she blew air out of her nose slowly and made small bubbles form in the water. Upon opening her eyes and turning to say something to her sister, Kagome noticed something reaching out for Kaori. "Kao! Look out!" Her scream echoed across the onsen and reached to their youkai companions.

Inuyasha pushed past Hiei, who had stopped in the middle of his tracks and turned his back to the springs. "What's wrong?"

The elder sister gasped as she grabbed a small boulder and brought it down hard on top of the hanyou's skull. "We're fine, Inuyasha." Then she turned to glare at the two demons who had their backs turned to them. "Turn around and you're dead." She hissed in a deadly tone.

Shippou snickered as he hopped on a nearby submerged rock. "It's a monkey."

Kagome pulled her sister's hair out of the monkey's paw and shooed them away.

The man silently rose up out of the onsen, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to himself. Once he was out of the water and dry, he quickly pulled on his clothes. He then grabbed the golden staff that was resting against a nearby tree and sighed heavily. "They're with other men. Too bad. As a priest, I loathe violence."

* * *

><p>I finally finished it! Wow, that took longer than what I had wanted, but you know the deal. School, Work, and other daily life activities. But anywho, let me know how you felt about this chapter. I changed up a few things and added some things to make it flow a little better than it did in the older version. Hope you liked it!<p>

Ja ne

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: (See first chapter)

* * *

><p>One Jewel, Two Souls<p>

* * *

><p><em>Recap:<em>

_Inuyasha pushed past Hiei, who had stopped in the middle of his tracks and turned his back to the springs. "What's wrong?"_

_The elder sister gasped as she grabbed a small boulder and brought it down hard on top of the hanyou's skull. "We're fine, Inuyasha." Then she turned to glare at the two demons who had their backs turned to them. "Turn around and you're dead." She hissed in a deadly tone._

_Shippou snickered as he hopped on a nearby submerged rock. "It's a monkey."_

_Kagome pulled her sister's hair out of the monkey's paw and shooed them away._

_The man silently rose up out of the onsen, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to himself. Once he was out of the water and dry, he quickly pulled on his clothes. He then grabbed the golden staff that was resting against a nearby tree and sighed heavily. "They're with other men. Too bad. As a priest, I loathe violence."_

* * *

><p>The golden staff of the priest struck a tanuki demon across the cheek with enough force to make the demon cringe in pain. The raccoon-dog pressed a furry paw against his swelling cheek, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. He whined softly when the eyes of the monk staring unwavering at him. "Miroku-sama, please no." the tanuki begged.<p>

Miroku, the priest, tapped his staff on the raccoon-dog's head; each strike harder than the last. "That's why I'm saying I'll give you a reward." He smiled easily as he manipulated the tanuki into doing his bidding.

The tanuki was still rather unwilling to participate in the request that the priest asked of him, but the reward that he would be getting was very tempting. Nodding his consent, the raccoon-dog said, "Yes..."

-0-0-0

The next day atop of the mountain that had a curving path along the face, the priest and the tanuki stood. Below them was the small group that the priest had encounter the night before. The girls were exchanging possession of the necklace that held the item Miroku desire. The huge fragment of the Shikon no Tama.

The raccoon-dog fidgeted where he was standing as he looked down at the group below them. He looked back up at the priest. "So, you want me to attack the demons wearing black and white, correct?"

Miroku nodded. "Yes. Meanwhile, I'll distract the hanyou and take the girls."

"Why go through all this trouble, Miroku-sama?" The tanuki asked as he tilted his furry head as he pointed to the arm that was wound tight with a dark purple cloth and a light purple rosary. The raccoon-dog knew of the power that resided in the priest's hand and if Miroku chose, he could end it all with just that. "If you use your right arm, you end it in just seconds."

The priest frowned as he lifted the arm in question. "Idiot." He said scornfully with an evil smile teasing at his lips. "If I use this arm, everyone will die."

"That's true." The tanuki bowed his head in shame. He should have known that Miroku was against killing humans and two of the travellers were women, human women. Miroku would not dare use to power hidden in that right arm of his. "Forgive me." He then placed a small green leaf on top of his head. "If anything should happen, please save me."

Miroku placed his hand on the raccoon-dog's shoulder and squeezed gently. "Do not worry."

Feeling reassured by the priest's words, the tanuki jumped off the edge of the cliff. "Henge!"

* * *

><p>Kaori reached behind her neck and unclasped the chain that held the jewel shard. She then held it out for Kagome to take, since it was the younger sister's turn to guard over it for the day. The younger twin accepted the shard with a monotone thanks and kept her eyes low. Kaori noticed this and began to question her sister, but Kagome denied every accusation. This went on for a few minutes until Inuyasha snapped.<p>

"Will you, two, shut up for one minute!" he growled.

The elder Higurashi sister gave the hanyou a skeptic look, her eyes narrowed. "Are you still angry about last night?"

A deep blush covered Inuyasha's face as he recalled what happened. While he only got a glimpse of Kaori's naked body, the image of water sliding along her soft curves, dripping from her hair, and making her look like a celestial being was forever burned into his mind. Inuyasha could only wish that one day, he would have the supple body all for himself. But for now, "I am not!"

Kagome scowled. She knew very well that Inuyasha got a good look at her sister's body when they were bathing. "So, Kaori smashed a rock against your head, you got to see her naked. Call it even."

"I saw nothing!" he denied for the sake of Hiei glaring death at him. Inuyasha was not about to admit that he saw just about all of Kaori's body to the short bastard just yet. Not while the girl in question was standing right there. No, he'll gloat in private with Tessaiga in hand. Just in case.

Hiei cut his eyes up to the cliffside when a faint rumbling noise reached his ears. "Onna." he said.

Kaori felt her jaw twitch in agitation. Just how many times does she have to tell that damned imiko that her name was not 'Onna!' She sighed. At least he is speaking to her normally now. "What is it, Hiei?"

He placed his right hand on the hilt of his katana, his ruby red eyes trained up at the cliff face above them. His lips peeled back into a growl as he said, "Keep the jewel safe. We have company." No sooner than those words left the forbidden one's mouth, a gigantic boulder with a comical demonic face on it came hurtling down the side of the mountain.

"I have come for thee!" It growled out loudly.

Kaori felt her legs being swept out from under her as Inuyasha jumped out of the way of the boulder. Once he made sure that she was a safe distance from danger, he quickly went back for her sister, tossing Kagome over his shoulder rather barbarically. Of course, the younger sister gave him a tongue lashing for it and threatened to say the word of subjection when she noticed that someone was missing. Hiei and Youko had safely avoided the large demon rock, but little Shippou had not been so lucky.

Kagome's eyes widened as she watched the little red fox demon fall down the side of mountain. "Shippou-chan!" she shrieked. "Youko, go after him!"

The silver kitsune nodded. He developed a soft side of the little kit and looked after him.

Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arm over his chest. "That runt is useless." His ears twitched as soft footsteps alerted him to the presence of another being. Cutting his amber eyes over to the twins, he noticed a shadow behind the little sister, "Kagome, watch out!"

Kaori's sisterly instincts kicked in and she yanked her sister back closer to her and they both looked at the spot where Kagome was standing. Standing slightly behind them was a man of average height dressed in expensive looking robes; his dark violet eyes gleaming lecherously. "Who are you?" they asked in unison.

The priest bowed at the waist, his arms swept out dramatically. "I am but a humble priest. No one suspicious." He rose out of his bow and smiled at them. "I am just in search of the Shikon no Tama and it just happens to be attached to one of you lovely ladies." He smoothly slid his way in between the sisters and wrapped each of his arms around their waists. "Now which one of you has it?"

Hiei snarled silently when he watched the priest lean in closer to Kaori. He quickly appeared next to them and ripped the older sister from the stranger's arm. The imiko narrowed his eyes at priest and growled, "If you wish to keep that arm, don't touch her."

"Hiei?" Kaori said in a questioning tone as she looked up at him with confusion in her eyes.

The priest simply smiled and back up away from the forbidden child, his hand slowly creeping up Kagome's back.

"Miroku-sama!" a shrill, scared sounding voice cried out, "He's going to kill me!"

The group looked down the cliff and saw Youko glaring murderously at a tanuki as Shippou clung to his chest, various bruises and cuts littering his tiny body. There was a particularly nasty cut above Shippou's left eye that was bleeding profusely down his little face. Youko had summoned his Rose Whip and was prepared slaughter the raccoon-dog.

"Tsk." Miroku sighed and he loosened the beads around his right arm. "Your friend is rather violent."

Suddenly harsh winds sucked Youko's Rose Whip out of his hands, causing the green vine to revert back into a simple rose. The force of the winds pulled Youko against the sharp, jagged rocks of the side of the cliff. He quickly turned so that his back took most of the damage and to protect Shippou from further harm. Youko growled out in pain as the stones dug into his skin, cutting his flesh.

"Youko!" Kagome screamed out in alarm. She shoved the priest away from her. "Out of my way!"

Miroku smiled easily as he allowed the pretty young girl to slip past him. "Certainly." Once the small group was down on the cliff below him and his loyal companion was safe from harm, Mirok smirked. "Seeing as I have what I desire." He held up the necklace that the twins kept the jewel on, the pink shard twinkling in the light before slipping off.

* * *

><p>Kagome was the first to reach the silver fox as she placed her hand on his shoulder, her grey-tinted blue eyes filled with concern as she asked if he was okay. He merely shrugged her hand off and looked away from her, telling her to look after the kit. Kagome sighed softly, knowing that was what he was going to say. <em>'Why won't he look at me still? And what was up with that priest's hand? It was like the winds were coming from it.' <em>She let out another puff of air as she reached for the shard around her neck as a comfort reflex and her fingers touched naked skin.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Kaori asked when she noticed the shocked expression on her sister face. She dabbed at the cut above Shippou's eye and was relieved to find that it was not too deep.

The younger twin laughed nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. "Well...you see..." Kagome laughed once more, knowing that what she was about to say will set off the fage of their demon companions. "I think that priest may have stolen the jewel shards."

There was a brief silence before Youko, Hiei and Inuyasha erupted in similar growls of, "WHAT!"

* * *

><p>Inuyasha bent down on all fours, sniffing the ground vigorously before catching the familiar scent of the priest. He then took off charging towards a large village. "He's close by! I can smell him!"<p>

Hiei chuckled darkly as he gave the Inu a degrading look out of the corner of his eye. "Are you sure, Hanyou?" He tightened his hands around Kaori to secure his grip on subconsciously, but the act did not go unnoticed by Inuyasha. "This is the third village we've been to. I'm positive that the onna are weary of being called youkai."

"Shaddup, midget!" The hanyou growled, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm absolutely sure that he's here!" He was getting sick and tired of the imiko's arrogant attitude. Just because Hiei was the one that Kaori was being carried by did not mean anything. If he chose, Inuyasha could fight Hiei for Kaori the moment the imiko set her down.

Kaori sighed and leaned in closer to Hiei to talk into his ear. "Hiei, quit pestering Inuyasha and let's find that thief!"

Feeling her press her soft breasts closer to his back was enough to make the imiko stop prattling the hanyou. "Hn." he grunted.

* * *

><p>Miroku sighed heavily as his eye twitched in agitation. He lifted the sake bowl to his lips and took a small sip. "We have nothing but beauties." he mimicked the old man who coerced him to partake in their activities before sipping at his sake again. "I'd done better drinking with the tanuki." The hut that Miroku was residing in was a brothel and he was sitting in the middle of several hideous-looking women who were singing and dancing around him. Miroku sighed and slumped his shoulders. <em>'Perhaps I should have taken one of those lovely girls with me.'<em> He looked down at the two women clinging to his arms and remember the pretty identical looking girls.

The sliding door suddenly slammed open, causing the priest to jump slightly and turn around.

"Found you, you jewel thief!" Kagome and Kaori said together as they walked in the room.

Miroku's face lit up as his dark eyes settled on the pretty faces of the young girls. He quickly jumped to his feet and rushed over towards them. He took their hands gently in his and smiled seductively. "You two certainly are a sight for sore eyes." he purred. "Your beauty is abundant in many ways."

Hiei flexed his claws as his temper rose. He's told that damned priest before to keep his hands off of Kaori! Looks like he wants to lose it. Before he could react, Youko's Rose Whip lashed out towards Miroku. But the priest quickly dropped the twins' hands and used his staff to block the strike. "Don't touch them." the two demons said venomously, their eyes gleaming dangerously.

The priest tossed the whip off his staff and smirked. "You are very violent indeed."

Inuyasha stepped forward, cracking his knuckles in a menacing way as he bared his fangs. "I get the feeling that you're not going to hand over the Shikon without a fuss." He was still feeling pissed that Miroku even dared to touch his precious Kaori in such a manner. The older sister was too pure for such indecent intentions.

Miroku smirked as he held up the large fragment of the Shikon that the group worked so hard to obtain, his violet eyes twinkling with amusement. "This isn't something that should be in the hands of a youkai." He grinned perversely as he shifted his gaze over to the twins. "Perhaps you lovely ladies will accompany me instead?" His tone was suggestive.

Youko growled low in his chest and snapped his Rose Whip towards Miroku, who nimbly dodged it by somersaulting backwards over the balcony. Hiei felt the dragon stirring restlessly on his right arm and he clenched his fist tightly to retrain it. The beast could not be unleashed while he was so close to Kaori. She would not approve of his senseless slaughter and he would rather not hear her nagging and saying the word of subjugation. Unsheathing his katana, he aimed for the houshi's throat.

The priest sensed an oncoming danger to his life and he quickly ducked his head low to avoid being decapitated by the imiko. He turned slightly and said, "I wouldn't resort to needless conflict."

Inuyasha soared through the air, Tessaiga in its true form. "Then you should just fuckin' die, bastard!"

Then the unexpected happened. Miroku turned around fully with his staff held up and he blocked the hanyou's strike. A smirk curved at the priest's lips as he watched the Inu exert more force in order to try and break his staff. "Do you insist on being punished?"

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demanded.

"My name is Miroku." he introduced with a slight nod of his head. "I aid those in trouble with my houriki."

Hiei scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest before sending a pointed glare at the priest. "You're just a simple thief." The jagan began to glow ominously behind the bandana on his forehead. "Give us back the Shikon and I may consider letting you live." He placed his hand back on the hilt of his sword, dropping into a fighting stance.

Miroku sighed and shook his head. "Youko-san, is Hiei-san always this violent?"

Youko narrowed his eyes at the priests, his hand tightening slightly on the handle of his Rose Whip. "How do you know of us?"

"Those beautiful young women you are travelling with called you by name." the priest said with a shrug of his shoulder before pulling out the necklace that held the Shikon. "But back to the matters at hand, it would be wise to let me keep this."

Inuyasha had had enough of hearing this arrogant priest's talk. It was time for them to take back the jewel shards that he stole from them. He leapt up into the air and brought Tessaiga down only to have his strike parried by Miroku's staff once more. He growled and swung again and again, trying to land a hit. _'Damn! He parried my every stroke!'_ He blinked when a green vine suddenly wrapped around his Tessaiga and yanked him back.

Hiei ran over to Miroku and slashed upwards, knocking the golden staff out of the priest's hands. He smirked and placed the sharp tip of his blade in front of the slightly taller man's face. "Time's up. Hand over the shards now!"

Miroku said nothing as he ducked under the katana and continued to run away but he turned back to say, "People! Get away as far as you can! It's for your own safety!" He saw that they demons were swiftly following after him and a smirk slipped onto his lips. Once he reached the outskirts of the village, Miroku faced his opponents and held up his right hand. "Sorry, but I hate losing." He snatched the rosary off his arm, "Houriki!"

Kagome and Kaori were still in a slight daze as they remembered the protective tone their demons companions used when they demanded Miroku to not touch them. They way they seemed to hover over them for slight moment and the twins' hearts fluttered a bit. _'Why are they so protective over us? Oh, duh, we're their precious Kikyou and Kaede's reincarnations.' _They thought sourly, not noticing the vicious battle around them.

"Kaori! Kagome! Hold on to something!" Shippou's terrified voice cried out.

The younger sister was first to react as she quickly grabbed onto a support beam of the house they were standing by. She reached out for Kaori's hand, only find that her sister had been picked up by the harsh sucking winds. Kagome called out for her twin, watching helplessly as she was carried away.

Kaori screamed as she clawed at the air for something - anything that would hold her down. She gasped when something grabbed hold of her wrist and she yanked against a firm chest. Looking up at her savior, Kaori squeaked, "I-Inuyasha!" The elder sister wrapped her arms tightly around his middle and hugged him closely.

Inuyasha blushed as he felt Kaori's soft breasts pressed against his chest. "I-Idiot!" he berated her. "Are you trying to get sucked into his Kazaana!"

"Kazaana?" she questioned, lifting her head out of his chest to peer over his shoulder. Kaori found the source of the strong winds was coming from a small black hole in the priest's right hand. "In his hand?"

Kagome, being too far to see clearly, cried out to her sister, "Kaori! Where's this wind coming from!" Her eyes widened to their fullest extent when she heard what her twin told her. This violent wind was coming from Miroku's hand? How was that possible! He's human! At least from what her weak reiki could sense from him, he was. She turned her attention to her two youkai companions who were the closest to the priest. Hiei had driven his katana into the ground to gain extra footing, but was slowly sliding towards the Kazaana. Youko had wrapped his Rose Whip around a nearby building, but he was starting to lose his tight grip on the handle. "Shippou-chan, what are we going to do?" she asked the little fox that had perched himself on her back not too long ago. "Youko and Hiei are going to be sucked in at this rate!"

Shippou shook his head as he tightened his arms around Kagome's neck. "I don't know."

The younger twin glared at the priest with angry greyish blue eyes before something in her mind clicked. Back before he opened the Kazaana, Miroku warned the villagers to run away. He does not want to hurt humans! Kagome took Shippou off of her back and set him in her bag, tying it securely to the support beam. With a determined look in her eye, she braced herself for the worse as she took a step forward.

"Kagome!" Kaori called out, her voice stern with sisterly concern. "I know what you're thinking. Don't do it!

Kagome simply smiled at her twin. "Gomen, Nee-chan." She bowed her head slightly in apology for what she was about to do. "But I just can't sit quietly when my friends are in trouble." With those words said, Kagome walked into the path of the Kazaana, flying into the air at a fast pace.

"Kagome!" Kaori screamed.

* * *

><p>Miroku smirked. He's won. Those demons won't be able to hold on for much longer. Then he would quickly dispose of the hanyou and run off with those pretty twins. "Give up!" he said smugly. The priest saw something out of the corner of his eye and gasped in surprise. One of the girls was in the path of the Kazaana! "Damn!" Miroku cursed as he quickly closed off his arm and began to tie the rosary around it when the girl smacked him in the forehead, knocking them both backwards.<p>

"Kagome!" Youko said as he made his way over to the young priestess. He blinked when a small black blur ran past him.

The younger sister pushed herself away from the priest's fallen body, placing her hand on her throbbing head. "Itai..." she whined. "He's super hardheaded." The rosary around his right hand drew her attention and she reached out and touched one of the beads. "This rosary must help him seal off the Kazaana." Suddenly, Kagome was pulled into a tight embrace.

"You stupid, courageous imouto of mine!" Kaori gushed as she held her twin out at arms' length, searching for any signs of injury. Finding none, her tone turned scolding, "Don't you ever scare me like that again! Willing jumping in front of that Kazaana like that! What if you gotten hurt or worse: killed! I don't know what I would do!" Kaori was visibly shaking as she hugged her little sister to her again.

Kagome rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. She should have known better than to frighten her older sister like that. Especially because of how closely connected they were. Kagome had felt empty when she had thought Hiten had murdered her sister. Like she had lost a part of herself. "I'm fine, Kao-nee." She used an old pet name to calm her twin down as she rubbed Kaori's back soothingly. Kagome gently pushed her sister away and looked down at the houshi. "I don't think he is all that bad."

Youko arched a fine silver brow, clearly annoyed as his tails were bristled slightly. "Not that bad?" he questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. "He stole your jewel shards from under your nose."

The younger sister shook her head from side to side. "I know that, but with this right hand if his, he could have easily killed us and took the shards. But he didn't." She looked down at him briefly before looking over at her sister. "If we just try to talk to him - KYAH!" her words cut off with a shrill scream when something groped her.

Kaori leapt two feet into the air when she felt a large hand grab one her cheeks through her thin skirt. "Kono hentai!"

Youko and Hiei were by the twins' side the second they screamed and were instantly locked in an embrace by the girls. The twins shot glares at the priest and muttered. "You can kill him!"

Hiei growled as he held Kaori away from Miroku, who had slowly sat up with a happy, lecherous smile on his face. "You just signed your death warrant, Bouzu."

Miroku's face turned serious as he held up his hands. "Allow me to explain."

"You have ten seconds." Youko hissed, his claws itching to tear into the priest who dared to touch someone he was meant to protect. "Start talking."

* * *

><p>The group sat a ways from the village that had been partially destroyed by Miroku's Kazaana underneath a large oak tree. The twins were watching the priest with wary eyes as he began to talk. It seemed that he was hunting the jewel shards so that he could hunt down and kill two certain demons. One of them being a youkai named Naraku. But before he could reveal the name of his partner, Kagome questioned about the demon aforementioned.<p>

"The Kazaana in my hand is a curse placed on me by Naraku." Miroku said gravely as he looked down at his accursed hand, his eyes hard. "He is a very malicious youkai who devours people." He sighed when the twins leaned in a bit closer to hear the rest of his tale. "It was my grandfather who battled Naraku in his youth. That was about fifty years ago. Their battles lasted several years. But whenever they met, Naraku appeared as a different person."

The Higurashi twins leaned in even closer, the full attention on Miroku. "As a different person?" they repeated with a curious pitch in their voices.

Miroku bowed his head as he remembered the rest of his grandfather's story. He took in a deep breath through his nose and exhaled with his mouth. "At the last battle, Naraku appeared in the body of a beautiful young woman. My grandfather boasted an enormous amount of houriki, but unfortunately..."

Kaori cut him off with a deadpanned look. "He was a hentai, wasn't he."

"Excellent guess." the priest commented before continuing the story. "Naraku pierced my grandfather's right hand with his own sacred sutras so that he could escape, but not before he cursed him." Miroku looked sadly down at his cursed right hand. "This Kazaana gets bigger with each passing year and the winds become stronger. If I don't kill Naraku and his partner, I'll most likely be sucked into my own void."

The girls gasped in horror as shock took over the contours of their graceful faces. "That means you will die?"

Miroku nodded and heaved a heavy sigh. "Yes, but it is all right. If that is my fate." He lifted his head and stared at the twins with a hardened, determined look in his eyes. "But I will not let Naraku and his partner go unchecked. The Shikon no Tama that had disappeared fifty years ago is not back but is shattered in many fragments. They will surely gather the shards in order to strengthen their powers. It is said that Naraku and his partner nearly got the Jewel fifty years ago after killing the miko who protected it."

The air around them suddenly spiked in temperature as Hiei clenched his right fist tightly to keep the dragon from ripping itself from his arm and destroying everything in its rage. "What did you say?" He hissed in a deadly tone. He calmed down a little bit when Kaori placed her hand over his and looked at him with concern in those big grey-blue eyes of hers.

Youko started to rise from his seat when Kagome quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him back down. He was about to snap at her, but paused when he saw the look in her large eyes; the sorrow and pain in her glowing orbs. "You said that he killed the miko?"

_Fox. _Hiei spoke through their telepathic link. _Do you think that it was this Naraku who slew them?_

_I'm almost positive._ Youko replied, his eyes dark with hatred. _But who is this partner the priest keeps speaking of?_

Hiei looked up at the houshi with cold eyes. "Bouzu, you speak of a partner that this Naraku has. Who is it?"

Miroku looked at the imiko with confused eyes, but remembered that he never spoke of the partner's name since Kagome had cut him off. His eyes darkened at the thought of the youkai who placed the secondary curse on his grandfather. The reason why he now had the Kazaana in his hand. "His name is Karasu."

Youko's tails bristled at the name as he repeated it with much venom in his voice.

Kagome blinked in confusion. "But didn't we defeat him and his sister, Yura?"

Kaori pulled the shard necklace out of her pocket and gazed into the twinkling pinkish shard. "That doesn't matter." she said as she placed the necklace back into Kagome's hands. "But if we keeps gathering the shards, we are bound to run into one of them."

"How did you get that back?"

The younger sister gave him a look that said everything. She and Kaori had gotten their shards back when Miroku was busy trying to cop a feel on them. Miroku laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head when the demons glared death at him.

Suddenly, Kagome spoke up, "Let's collect them together."

"Excuse me?" The youkai of the group exclaimed.

Kagome gave each of the demons a pointed look before fingering the shard around her neck. "Well, I'm positive that you're not going to give these up."

"Of course not!" They barked out.

She clasped her hands together and looked back at Miroku with a pleading gleam in his eyes. "That's why you should travel with us."

Miroku looked away from the girl's shining blue eyes almost reluctantly. His right hand twitched slightly, but it was not from the curse. It was from something more personal to the priest. "I am not very good with dealing with others." he stated simply, closing his fists and trying to fight the urge.

Kaori leaned in closer to houshi, her eyes taking on the similar shine as her sister. She looked down at his clenched right hand and sighed sadly. "You will die is you don't kill Naraku and Karasu soon." Kagome joined in with her sister and together they said, "And if that's the case, then we must find them quickly!"

"Kagome-sama. Kaori-sama." the priest began, losing the fight against the urge. "Are you worried about me?" He reached out and grabbed one of their hands in each of his when they hesitated and looked deeply into their eyes. "Then may I ask this of you?" At their consent, he continued with, "Will either of you do me the favor of bearing my child?"

Inuyasha turned a murderous glare at the priest as his eyebrow twitched in agitation. What they hell was that lech talking about! If anything, Kaori would be his! And it will be his pups she would bear! He rose to his feet and started to make his way over to the priest when he was blocked off by Hiei and Youko.

Kaori tried to snatch her hand away from Miroku as a bluish tint covered her cheeks. "What's all this about!"

Miroku sighed wistfully as he drew the twins closer to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "If I should fail to destroy both Naraku and Karasu, I need a child to carry on my family's mission. That is the curse Karasu placed." His hands slowly began to descend lower on the girls' waist, itching to feel that soft flesh in his palms again.

Youko growled low in his chest when he saw this and quickly moved over to where Miroku was, barely noticing that Hiei had already beaten him there, and forcibly took Kagome away from the priest before his hand to touch her inappropriately again. "Listen, Bouzu, you will stop touching Kagome in such a manner or I will cut that hand from your body."

"I am a houshi. Not a bouzu." Miroku automatically corrected the kitsune.

Hiei held Kaori in his arms for a second longer than necessary before pushing her behind him. "Touch her again and you will be dead." he warned darkly, his jagan glowing menacingly.

Butterflies fluttered in the girls' stomachs as they looked up at the two demons who were hiding them from the priest's view. Softly they said the name of aforementioned youkai softly, their fingers lightly touching their arms. Before they could fully touch the imiko and kitsune, Miroku's next words made them freeze.

"I'm terribly sorry, Youko-san and Hiei-san. I thought of you as just companions to Kagome-sama and Kaori-sama." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and offered an apologetic smile. "You clearly seem to be in love with them. Please forgive me."

The imiko glared at the priest. How could that idiotic human even dare to think that he was in love with that worthless woman! "The onna is nothing to me. Just a nuisance that is able to see the shards." he growled out lowly.

Youko seemed taken aback at the monk's accusation. "Me? In love with this weak girl? She is only required because of her sight." He said in a serious voice.

"What!" Kaori shrieked as she shoved Hiei away from her. "A nuisance, am I?"

"So, I'm only required because of my sight!" Kagome said as her face turned a deep shade of red from anger.

"Fuse!"

"Tsuke!"

The girls turned away from the fallen demons with an irritated huff and crossed their arms over their chests, lifting their noses in the air. "Oh yeah, that's right." they said with venom, "You're still in love with someone else." Ignoring the angry hiss of their youkai companions, the twins huffed, "What shall we do? Miroku-sama is a lot nicer than all of you."

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his skull as he hissed out, "You would betray me?"

Miroku smiled uneasily as he lifted his hands in defense. "You need a lesson is treating women."

Youko glared at the priest. How dare he say that? Youko Kurama needed no lesson. He's seduced men and women alike for many years. The kitsune was well known for his art of seduction. If he truly wanted to, he could have even Miroku begging for his touch! "Bouzu," he snarled silently, "I am a master of the art of seduction. I need no further lessoning."

Kagome rolled her eyes at the very arrogant answer the silver kitsune gave. Of course, he would say that. She could almost read his mind. "You could be gentler!" she snapped out.

Kaori nodded her head and joined in with her sister. "Yeah! And kinder!"

Miroku's hands began to twitch, the urge striking him hard. A slow, lecherous smile tilted at his lips as he itched his twitching appendages closer to the unsuspecting females. He placed his hands firmly against the soft flesh of their backsides and fondled them gently. "Yes, be gentler and kinder. Like this."

The twins shrieked, jumping away from the priest. Their faces lit up a bright red as they glared at Miroku. "Don't touch us there!" Raising their right hands, they smacked the perverted houshi across the face.

Shippou sighed as he bit into the apple he'd gotten from the girls bag. He looked down from the tree branch he was sitting on and observed the group below. The small fox shook his head at the sight he was greeted with. "Weren't they just having a serious conversation?" Shippou shrugged his shoulders. "I don't wanna grow up."

* * *

><p>It was a little bit past dusk when Kagome felt someone shaking her. At first she ignored it, thinking that it was Shippou wanting to cuddle up against her in his sleep, but the shaking steadily gotten firmly. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Kagome yawned and stretched her arms above her head. "Hmmm?" She hummed as she fully opened her eyes, sitting up in her bright red sleeping back and rubbing the corner of her left eye. "Youko, what is it?"<p>

Youko regarded her with cool eyes as he rose to his feet and held out his hand. "You allowed the shards to be taken from you without your noticed. I will help you avoid that."

Kagome blinked in confusion before the kitsune's words registered in her head and a wide smile tilted at her lips. "Seriously?" She took his offered hand when he nodded and his eyes showed how serious he truly was. The younger twin could not believe that Youko actually wanted to help her. Even if it was about her protecting the jewel shards better. "Okay. Lead the way."

A small gasp rose in her throat when Youko suddenly swept off her feet and into his arms. He then leapt up into the trees and began to run among the treetops. She snuggled closer to his chest to ward off the chill of the autumn night air, hoping that he did not notice the small action. But the silver kitsune did notice. He glanced down at the small girl in his arms and a small memory flashed through his mind.

_Thunder clapped loudly in the sky quickly followed by a sharp crack of lightning. A young woman with long ebony hair and piercing hazel eyes yelped in surprise as she cursed her bad luck. She had wandered too far from the village to go back without getting soaked by the upcoming storm. The second that thought crossed her mind, the sky opened up and let the heavens fall. _

"_Curse my luck." She huffed as she took coverage under the nearest tree. "I should have listened to my sister and brought my umbrella hat."_

_A low chuckle from the treetops alerted the woman that she was not alone. Quicker than what the eye could see, she drew her bow and notched an arrow on it, directing the weapon in the direction of the voice. She relaxed her stance when a tall, silver-haired kitsune hopped down and landed in front of her with a small grin gracing his face._

"_Why, Kikyou." he purred, "Would you really shoot me with you Hama no Ya?"_

_Kikyou lowered her longbow and placed the arrow back inside her quiver. "We may never know." A hint of a smile spread over her lips as she looked the kitsune in the eyes, her voice taking on a teasing tone. "Youko, you really must stop surprising me like that."_

_Another low-sounding laugh escaped his throat as he moved closer to the female. "I only do it because I am the only one who can ever catch you off guard." He slowly draped his arms around her lithe waist and pulled her closer to his body._

_She placed a mock scowl on her face, but allowed herself to rest her head against his firm chest and letting his warmth consume her. "Don't brag so much." she giggled. "Ne, Youko. Do me a favor please?"_

_Youko pressed his lips against her forehead and trailed them down her cheek, but stopped before he reached her lips. He breathed in her sweet scent of bellflowers. "I'll do anything you ask of me."_

_The rain began to fall harder as lightning flashed brightly in the sky and thunder clapped louder. Kikyou huddled closer to Youko, the only man she allowed to see her weak side. "Will you take me back to the village?"_

_Before she could even finish her question, Youko had swept her off her feet and lept up to the treetops. He was running so fast that the rain was barely touching them, but the kitsune had already grown and large leaf for Kikyou to hold as an umbrella. A small giggle escaped her as she stared up at the spirit fox, causing him to look down at her with a raised silver brow. _

"_What is so amusing?" he asked._

_Kikyou giggled once more and tapped him on the nose gently. "That is for me to know." she smirked. "And for you to find out."_

With a low growl, Youko swept that unwanted memory from his head and continued his run through the forest treetops. A few meters ahead, he spotted the clearing where he was going to teach Kagome. He looked down at the napping girl in his arms. _'But first...'_ Once his feet were firmly planted on the ground, he woke Kagome and set her down. "Are you ready?"

Kagome nodded, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Youko was so warm that she could not help but to take a little nap. "Uh huh..." she mumbled tiredly.

Youko smirked. "Are you sure?" he pointed a slender finger at her. "Where are your shards?"

She smiled. The younger miko in training was prepared for this. She had traded the small flimsy silver chain for a more sturdy golden chain that was heavy against her neck. "Right here." She reached up and fingered the golden necklace before moving her finger down to touch the shards. Kagome's grey tinted blue eyes widened when she touched nothing but bare skin. _'Oh no! Where are my jewel shards!'_

Youko chuckled at the almost comedic expression of worry that graced her face. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled the large fragment out and held it up between his fingers. He raised his arm up higher when Kagome gasped and rushed over to take the shard back to her possession.

"When did you get that?!" she demanded as she jumped up and down on her feet, trying in vain to snatch the shard out of his hand. But he was far too tall for her five foot two frame to even hope to reach them.

The kitsune placed his hand on her shoulder to cease her actions and a smirk graced the contours of his face. "When you dozed off on the way here." His eyes took on an amused glimmer as he continued, "As for your punishment, you must handpick the necessary herbs for all types of illnesses and injuries."

Kagome's face dropped. There had to be over hundreds of different medicinal herbs for both healing and for consumption. How did he expect her to handpick all of them? Especially when she has little knowledge of the plants of this era. "No fair! I want a redo!" Kagome vented. Youko shrugged and handed the shard back to her. The younger twins clipped the fragment back on her necklace and looked at the kitsune with determination in her eyes. "Okay. Hit me with your best shot. You won't get them this time."

A slow, predatory grin spread over Youko's lips as he crossed his arms over his chest. So the little miko was challenging him. Did she forget that his was the King of Thieves? And she told him to give it his best. Kagome saw the look on his face and took a few steps back, regretting what she said. This was going to be a long training session. She reached up and touched her shards for comfort only to realized they were gone once again. A very long session.

* * *

><p>Miroku looked over at the younger sister and noticed the tired expression on her face as she moved around the small campsite to her sleeping mat. "Kagome-sama, you look worn out. Did something happen during the night." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively as a perverse smile tilted at his lips. "Both you and Kaori-sama were gone."<p>

"Shut it, Miroku-sama!" Kagome snapped, not catching his suggestive words. "I am not in the mood." She slumped down against her sleeping bag, throwing her arm over her eyes to block out the sun. The young miko remembered her training with Youko and groaned. The silver kitsune had managed to swipe the jewel shard from her twenty-seven times. Twenty-seven! All of which, she did not notice until he was broadcasting it in her face. Her punishments varied from listening to whatever Youko told her for the next month to hand washing the dirty clothes.

Kaori drug her feet as she moved to the black sleeping bag next to Kagome and crumbled down on it, groaning when the action pulled at her tired muscles. She looked over at her twin when she felt an elbow nudge her gently. Kagome asked if Hiei had woken her sister up to train. Kaori fell back against the cushion-y pillow and draped her arm over her eyes. "Big time. He is ruthless when it comes to Kendo."

_Kaori tighten her grip on the hilt of her wakizashi, her eyes trained on her opponent. Raising her blade high at her side, she charged. Faking left and swing her blade in a sloppy right arc, Kaori felt her eyes widen when her strike was deflected easily. How? She was the best at Kendo. How did he block her strike?_

"_Not enough killing intent!" He growled as he dipped and swung his leg out, effectively sweeping the girl's feet from underneath her. Kaori landed on her rear hard and gave out a pained yelp. When she looked up, he swung his katana towards her. He stopped just a few inches away from her slender neck. "You will never be a master swordswoman. You don't come at your opponent with the intent to kill."_

_The older twin lowered her head in shame. "I can't bring myself to use killing intent when your opponent, Hiei." Kaori confessed softly, her eyes hidden by her wavy bangs. "You're my friend and I can't bring myself to hurt you."_

_Hiei regarded her with narrowed carmine-colored eyes. "Friends are just a crutch for the weak." He pointed his blade at her, growling lowly. "Get up and fight! I will not show you any mercy!"_

_Kaori sighed softly, knowing that Hiei meant what he said. He has not gone easy on once since they began training. She was positive that her body was littered with bruises and probably a few cuts from nearly being sliced by Hiei's sword. The imiko may have perfect control over his weapon, but he would use kenatsu to nick her flesh. Standing back on her feet, Kaori glared at the forbidden child for making her fight him when she did not want to. The older sister charged at him with a small warrior cry._

"Kaori!" Inuyasha's voice rang out over the small makeshift campsite.

The older twin groaned as her muscles cried at in pain when she forced herself to sit up to acknowledge the hanyou. "What the hell do you want, Inuyasha?!" she growled, her eyes narrowed as she impatiently waited for his answer.

Inuyasha widened his eyes, giving Kaori his best puppy-dog look, and tilted his ears back in a cute manner. "Will you make me some of that ninja food?"

Kaori was sorely tempted to tell the Inu to shove it where the sun doesn't shine as she held a grim look on her face. She suppressed a smile when his silvery ears twitched slightly and Kaori knew that she did not stand a chance against his cuteness. Rising to her feet, the elder twin walked over to her bag, paused to scratch those cute, fuzzy appendages, and grumbled, "You are lucky that you have such cute ears."

The Inuhanyou sent Hiei a smug look that said everything. _'Hear that, you damned bastard? She called my ears cute! That's one mark for me!'_ he mentally boasted.

Little did that hanyou know, Hiei could really care less about Inuyasha. The imiko now knew that Kaori was indeed the reincarnation of the one woman he adored. Hiei would be damned if he allowed some half-blood mongrel to take her from him.

* * *

><p>The thunderous sounds of many horses trampling across the grassless terrain. Dozens of mercenaries were grinning among themselves as they boasted about their latest heist. Many bales of rice was strapped to a wagon near the center of the formation. Soon the sky began to darken to a dark orange with hints of violet and pink.<p>

One mercenary glanced up at the sky and sweat slowly beaded at his brow. The path that they were racing on was often said to be guarded by demons come nightfall. And he did not have a death wish at the moment. "Oi, Okashira (chief), let's hurry. I've heard that youkai come out in this area after dark." His eyes widened when he spotted a tall being dressed in flowing white robes standing in their path. "Youkai!"

"Stupid bastard," one of his comrades sneered, "That's a human." The man smiled crookedly as he eyed the silver-haired man up head and noticed that he had some nice looking armor. "He's got some interesting armour!"

The chief grinned and unsheathed his blade, giving the order. "We'll kill'im and take all he has!"

The man turned slightly, his eyes glowing a deep crimson as his arm dropped from his sleeve. A malicious aura surrounded him and he lifted his arm just as the band neared him. Without giving them time to react, the man slashed his claws at the mercenaries, annihilating them from the face of the earth. Only a few splotches of blood staining the ground was left behind.

A kappa youkai stumbled out of the tall grass, a two-headed staff clutched tightly between his webbed hands. His beaked lips were arched up in a smile as he immediately began to praise the tall demon. "Sesshoumaru-sama, you're so great!" He beamed up at the Inuyoukai with large yellow eyes. "As I expected, that arm, torn from that blue oni you killed is certainly strong, My Lord."

Sesshoumaru said nothing as he kicked Jaken in the face before clutching the arm. "Are your eyes useless holes, bastard. This still isn't of any use." He ripped the arm off his body and threw it aside before walking away. "Find a demon with a more suitable arm or else, I will kill you."

The arm twitched slightly and grabbed the kappa tightly in its grip when he moved closer to it, squeezing tightly. Jaken yelped out and began hitting the arm with his staff. It seemed the more Jaken struck the oni's arm, the tighter it squeezed. It was not until, the kappa struck the nerve between the thumb and index finger was he release. He quickly kicked the arm away where it soon rotted. Jaken sighed. _'I'm tired of this life. That damned Inuyasha, this is his fault for chopping off Sesshoumaru-sama's arm.'_ The kappa youkai remember all the battle inside the Inu no Taishou's body for Tessaiga, which led to the loss of the Inuyoukai's left arm.

"Even if I find another arm, it will be useless after a while." Sesshoumaru sighed inaudibly as he turned his cold golden gaze back on the path before them. The stump of his left arm tingled slightly with pain and the Inu growled softly.

"You seem to be troubled." a voice said, stopping the lord of the western lands and catching his attention. Sitting almost comfortably in the grass was a man wearing a white baboon pelt to hide his face from the prying eyes of others. "Pardon me," he said, his voice low with respect, "But are you Inuyasha's elder brother, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru regarded the man with a cool gaze. "What do you want, bastard?"

The man shifted slightly in his seated position. "I am, like yourself, one who hates Inuyasha and the people he travels with." He bowed his head in shame. "It was rude of me, but I overheard you talking." Reaching into the folds of his pelt, the man held up an arm as an offering to Sesshoumaru. "May I suggest that you use this arm?"

Jaken stepped forward from hiding behind his lord's leg, glaring at the man, "Cut the jokes, asshole! That arm is human!"

"Correct. This human arm has a shard of Shikon no Tama embedded in it." the man replied, letting the insult slide. "If you use a human arm, you'll even be able to use Tessaiga, Inuyasha's fabled sword." His words drew in the Western Lord's attention. "I have heard of the Tessaiga, the "sword which protects humans" Normally, it is a sword that a perfect youkai like you wouldn't be able to handle."

Sesshoumaru cut the man off with a soft chuckle as he glared at him with piercing golden eyes. "Bastard, you said that you hate Inuyasha and the group he travels with, didn't you?" he continued when the man nodded. "For the sake of killing him and his group, you're saying you'll make use of me."

The man tilted his head to the side slightly. "Quite right."

Jaken turned red in the face, his green skin tinted an unattractive shade, "You've got some nerve asshole!"

"Interesting." Sesshoumaru said, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "Then I'll make use of this arm."

The man reached back inside his pelt and held out something round. "And another thing. This nest should prove helpful to you." He handed both the human arm and the hive over to Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru looked at the man with cool eyes and a neutral expression on his face. "Will you give me your name, bastard?"

"Naraku is what I'm called." the mane answered.

Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly as a hint of a smirk on his face. "Naraku? I shall remember that."

* * *

><p>Finally finished! Just a reminder to all my reader of other stories, as soon as I am finished revamping this story, I will update them. But until then, they are on a temporary hiatus. It should not be long though Seeing as I am almost up to where I was before! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little chapter!<p>

Ja ne

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: (see first chapter)

* * *

><p>One Jewel, Two Souls<p>

* * *

><p><em>Recap:<em>

_Sesshoumaru cut the man off with a soft chuckle as he glared at him with piercing golden eyes. "Bastard, you said that you hate Inuyasha and the group he travels with, didn't you?" he continued when the man nodded. "For the sake of killing him and his group, you're saying you'll make use of me."_

_The man tilted his head to the side slightly. "Quite right."_

_Jaken turned red in the face, his green skin tinted an unattractive shade, "You've got some nerve asshole!"_

_"Interesting." Sesshoumaru said, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "Then I'll make use of this arm."_

_The man reached back inside his pelt and held out something round. "And another thing. This nest should prove helpful to you." He handed both the human arm and the hive over to Sesshoumaru._

_Sesshoumaru looked at the man with cool eyes and a neutral expression on his face. "Will you give me your name, bastard?"_

_"Naraku is what I'm called." the man answered._

_Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly as a hint of a smirk on his face. "Naraku? I shall remember that."_

* * *

><p>Night had fallen and it was soon time for the group to set up camp for the night, but Miroku insisted that they travel a bit longer until they reached the closest village. Once they arrived, the priest quickly walked to the largest estate and warned the owner of the jyaki surrounding his home. The elderly man quickly welcomed them inside and gave them a lavish dinner while Miroku exorcised the house.<p>

The twins bowed at the head of the house, sincere smiles over their lips. "Thank you for letting us stay."

"It's the least I could do." The master said with a light chuckle. "Since your priest is performing an exorcism on my home." He turned back to Miroku who placed a sūtra on the wall and began to pray over it.

Miroku opened his eyes once he finished with his prayer and turned a small smile down at the short old man. "That should do it," he said with a short bow, "Now that jyaki that hovers over this home will disappear for good."

The lord bowed his head repeatedly at the priest. "Thank you very much, Houshi-sama." He reached out and grabbed the monk's hand, shaking it rather vigorously. "When you suddenly came and informed me that there was a jyaki over my house, I was so afraid of what might have happened." Letting out an exhale of relief, the man let go of Miroku's hand. "But now that you have exorcised this place I can put my fears to rest."

"Just another Buddhist Priest's duty." Miroku said with a warm smile before bowing to the lord as the elderly man left the group to their activities.

Shippou bit down into the odango in his little hands and a blissful expression etched across his face as he chewed. "Oh! Such bliss!" he cheered before taking another bite of the meat filled pastry. "Such bliss!" He chanted as he fell back against the soft cushion next to Kagome.

Kagome smiled down at the little kit before lifting a piece of fish to her lips with her chopsticks. She squealed in excitement at the many flavors that danced over her tongue. This was better than foraging for spices and herbs to season the meats that the silver kitsune brought her to cook when they set up camp near a river or lake.

Kaori sighed in contentment as she laid back on the soft mat and stretched her tired muscles. "This is so much better than staying outdoors!" She grabbed a cushion and snuggled her face against it.

"It sure is!" Kagome agreed quickly as she smiled at her sister, "A warm bed, a roof over our heads, and hot bath and meal!"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and growled, "Well, excuse us for making you sleep out in the wildness so often."

Hiei simply looked at the older sister with a glimmer in his eyes that said that he would show not even an ounce of mercy in their next training session. When Kaori caught the look, she sat up on her mat with a stiff back and slightly frightened shine in her eyes. Perhaps, she and Kagome should not have said that in front of their training partners.

Youko merely smiled slyly at Kagome and she knew what was going to happen. The kitsune was not going to pull any stops when it came to teaching her how to avoid getting the Shikon no Tama swiped away from her. And since Youko just happened to be one of the greatest youkai thieves who ever lived did not make things easier. Kagome froze and swallowed dryly when she saw his lips spread into that sly smile.

Shippou looked at the girls, his face scrunched up in confusion as to why they suddenly froze and looked at Youko and Hiei with fear, but decided against asking. He chose, instead, to poke fun at the grumpy Inuhanyou. With a mischievous light in his turquoise-colored eyes, Shippou teased, "You're just mad that it was Miroku who got us shelter!" He pointed at Inuyasha with his index finger.

Inuyasha growled, but refrained from hitting the tyke. "Can it, pipsqueak!"

"Houshi," Youko said as he waited for the priest to acknowledge him. "Why is it that you lied about the jyaki that supposedly surrounded this mansion?" His calm, calculating eyes trained on the mischievous violets of Miroku's.

Miroku smiled innocently at the kitsune. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Youko-san."

The twins rolled their eyes as they lifted the tea-cup to their lips and took a sip of the steamy liquid. "We figured that it was a lie. We did not sense any jyaki."

A loud, thunderous rumbling echoed throughout the sky, alerting the conversing group of the presence of something. Shippou's large eyes widened when the ceiling began to shake and he quickly jumped into Kagome's arms, cowering against her chest for protection. "Something big is coming this way!"

The priest suddenly rose to his feet and grabbed his staff tightly in his hands. "Let's run!"

Inuyasha shot up angrily and barked, "Bouzu! We can't just eat and run!"

"But it's big! We're no match for it! Impossible! Stupid! Like suicide!"

Kagome rolled her eyes and leaned in closer to her twin to whisper, "What a guy."

Kaori began to agree when a tingle went off in the recesses of her consciousness. It was like a static shock to her mind and she knew that she only got that feeling when there was a Shikon fragment close by. Rising to her feet abruptly, Kaori noticed out of the corner of her eye that Kagome must have gotten the same feeling since she had risen up at the same time. "Hiei! Youko!" they said together. "I can sense Shikon no Tama shards and this feeling of evil approaching us at an incredible speed." They walked over to the window that led out to the deck outside.

Hiei smirked as he rose from his seat against the back wall. "So, they're coming to us. Save us time."

Miroku ran past everyone at a speed no one knew he possessed. "If that the case, then I am willing to make the sacrifice!"

"Oi!" Inuyasha growled. "Miroku!"

* * *

><p>A gigantic rust-colored hand appeared from the clouds and crushed over half the large village below with one mighty blow. The monster let out a ferocious roar as he showed his ugly face, its beady glowing red eyes locking on the dark moving forms down below.<p>

Miroku slid to a stop as he sensed a powerful youki emitting from the shoulder of the beast and he looked up to see the cause of it. There, resting comfortably was an Inuyoukai with flowing silver-platinum hair and cold golden eyes. A small kappa demon sat at the Inu's side with a two-headed staff in its tiny three-fingered hands.

Inuyasha growled low in his chest and placed his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga when he spotted his older brother, "Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru said nothing as he rose to his feet and calmly jumped down from his perch, his Dokkaso flowing from his claws as he struck the ground. Youko and Hiei grabbed the girls in their arms quickly and carried them to a safer distance. Miroku snatched Shippou off the ground and hid behind a large boulder. Inuyasha, who did not react as quickly, was left and choked on the aftermath of the miasma.

"Your movements are as slow as ever, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru drawled as he ran his fingers through the moko-moko pelt around his shoulder.

Inuyasha bared his fangs at the older Inu as his silvery-white ears pulled back low on his head. "What the fuck are you here for, Kono yaro?!"

The elder brother sighed inaudibly as he gave the hanyou a cold stare. "Enough with the pathetic questions. My business is with the Tessaiga you carry."

The hanyou's hand never left the hilt of the aforementioned blade as he growled low in his chest, his fangs bared at the older Inu. "Temee, still haven't learned your lesson, huh?"

Youko set Kagome down on her feet behind the boulder that Miroku was currently hiding with Shippou. After giving the monk a stern look to warn him that if any harm should come to her that the kitsune would not be so merciful. "Kagome, you and your sister will remain here."

Kaori jumped out of Hiei's arms and glowered at the tall fox. "But..."

The imiko cut her off by placing his hand on her shoulder, turning her around so that she was looking up at him. "No, 'buts', Onna." he said with an edge to his voice, his ruby-red eyes gleaming. "You know that this is not an opponent you wish to deal with. Stay here." With those words spoken and a harsh glare at Miroku, Hiei and Youko disappeared from the hiding spot.

Miroku let out the breath he was holding in as he placed a hand over his chest to calm his racing heart. He turned wary violet eyes on the two girls who had just been placed in his care. "Youko-san and Hiei-san certainly can be quite intimidating." He ignored the twitching of his hands as the urge tried to take over. "So, tell me, who is that tall youkai? An acquaintance of yours?"

"He's Inuyasha's aniki. We don't know how he is connected to Hiei and Youko though." Kaori said with a somber look on her face. Hiei just had to remind her of their first encounter with the silver Inuyoukai. "But unlike Inuyasha who is hanyou, he is full youkai." She went into a brief explanation of what the Inuhanyou had told them when he had come back from his father burial site; of how Tessaiga's barrier refused Sesshoumaru and how he was unable to even touch it.

The priest held an unreadable expression as he gazed back at the two Inu standing off.

Sesshoumaru regarded his little brother with cool eyes. "Draw, Inuyasha. I'll allow you, at least, a mockery of resistance." He cut his eyes to the right at the slight grow in youkai, narrowly avoiding the green whip that was aimed for him. "Youko Kurama, Jaganshi Hiei, you've come to assist the hanyou?"

Youko's ears pulled back as his lips thinned into a firm line on his face at the mentioning of aiding Inuyasha. Sure, he was a part of their little ragtag group, but he would not lower himself to aid a warrior in battle. No, that would be no fun. "Us? Help the little mongrel? No, we are here to settle that little game we started years ago." His silver tails began to twitch with excitement of finally finishing their game.

"Oi!" Inuyasha barked. "Stay out of this! That bastard is mine!" He unsheathed Tessaiga and leapt into the air. The hanyou aimed his sword at Sesshoumaru and swung with all his might. The full Inu saw through the attack and simply sidestepped before bring his hand down on the back of Inuyasha's head. The half Inu growled and swung again, only this time Sesshoumaru caught the blade with his right hand.

Sesshoumaru tilted his head slightly as he held off his brother's attack. "As I thought, you still haven't mastered Tessaiga yet, Otouto?"

The hanyou narrowed his eyes and pulled back. "What did you say?" He growled as he readied another attack. "Don't mock me, kono yaro!"

Hiei almost rolled his eyes at the distasteful attacks that Inuyasha was dishing out. His sharp, carmine eyes could predict every the hanyou would make even before they were executed. Inuyasha would never be able to land a single blow in his opponents if he continued to swing his sword around like it was a toy. He let out an inaudible sigh when the inevitable happened.

Sesshoumaru finally had enough of his little brother's act of defiance and in one swift movement, he grabbed Inuyasha's wrist in a bone-crushing grip. "Your sword form is completely open; the sword is throwing you around." He closed his hand tighter as his poison began to flow from his fingers, burning Inuyasha's flesh.

Miroku's eyes widened at the sight of the hanyou grimacing in pain as the poison ate away his flesh. "His arm is beginning to rot!?"

Kagome gasped as she tightened her arms around Shippou's tiny body, hugging him closely. "There's poison in his claws, too?"

Sesshoumaru dug his sharp nails deeper into Inuyasha's arm, releasing the toxins within them. "Release Tessaiga or your arm will rot off." He watched as Inuyasha struggle to grab the hilt of the sword with both hands to aim a swing at him. "Such futile resistance." The full Inu jumped away and summoned his poison whip, lashing out at the hanyou and forcing Tessaiga out of Inuyasha's hands. The Fang spun through the air and Sesshoumaru easily caught the hilt of it in his left hand.

Inuyasha felt his eyes bulged out of their sockets at the sight of his brother wielding his sword. How was that possible? Tessaiga's barrier should have fried him for even daring to touch the sacred blade. How is that Sesshoumaru, a full demon, holding Tessaiga? The elder brother smirked slightly as he swung the Fang at Youko and Hiei, a trail of white light following the path he swung it.

The kitsune and imiko remained where they stood until the last second and leapt out-of-the-way. They landed a few feet from the small crater in the ground that was where they once were. They turned angry eyes at the one who dared to attack them, only to find that Sesshoumaru had his eyes on Inuyasha.

"I shall show you Tessaiga's true destructive power, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru glanced over his shoulder at the rust-colored oni, "Jaken."

The kappa youkai bowed his head as he answered his lord's call. "Certainly, Sesshoumaru-sama!" he squawked happily. Jaken tapped his staff rapidly on the beast's shoulder, gaining its attention. Once he had gotten what he desired, the kappa directed the oni towards the mountain. "I shall summon the mountain's youkai. Come forth!"

The oni let out of vicious roar when Jaken used his staff to burn him and swatted his hand down upon the mountain, crushing a large part of the grand forest. The earth began to tremble as hundreds of glowing lights lit up the area where the rust-colored giant crushed. Soon countless numbers of youkai flew into the sky, angered that someone had dared to disrupt their slumber.

Golden eyes remained trained on the demons rushing towards him as Sesshoumaru raised Tessaiga, ready to attack. "Watch well, Otouto, in just a single stroke the true power of Tessaiga will be known." He waited until the very last second before swinging the Fang in a graceful yet wide arc and several blades of youki obliterated the youkai rushing towards the Inuyoukai.

Once the blades of light began to fade away, the group (minus Youko and Hiei) looked on in shock that not only did Sesshoumaru managed to kill every single attacking demon, but also destroyed a massive part of the mountain as well. Sesshoumaru then pointed the sword at his brother.

"Inuyasha, your blood will rust on Tessaiga's blade." he said.

Kaori's eyes widened with fear as she clutched her hand to her chest. "Inuyasha is going to be killed!" she screamed as she grabbed her sister's hand, "Come on, Kagome!" Together the twins ran over to where the hanyou was kneeling; Kaori down beside him with Kagome standing protectively in front of them.

"Stop this!" Kagome said as she glared defiantly up at the tall youkai. She knew that Youko would grill her for disobeying him, but she just could not just by idly while one of her friends gets killed.

"Yeah!" Kaori agreed as she placed her hand on Inuyasha's injured wrist gently. "What has Inuyasha ever done to you!"

Sesshoumaru regarded the two young women with cool eyes before recognition filled him. "Oh? You're the girls from last time?" A small smirk tilted at his lips, "You want to die together? How lovely."

Inuyasha growled as he rose to his feet and shoved the twins behind him. "Stay back, you two. Sesshoumaru would not even hesitant to kill a woman either." He grit his teeth in anger as he glared daggers at his elder brother. As if he would let someone like Sesshoumaru take his sword. His Tessaiga! He blinked in confusion when suddenly all he could see was Miroku's back in front of him. "Oi!" he snapped.

Miroku glanced at his companion over his shoulders. "I can no longer stay silent. This sibling rivalry must come to an end!" he announced loudly.

"Oi, bouzu!" the hanyou barked out again, pissed that the priest was blatantly ignoring him . "Stay outta the way, Miroku!"

"You cannot handle this alone. It is impossible." the priest said calmly.

Inuyasha's ears pulled back on his head. "Shaddup! Don't stand in front of me, Bouzu!"

Jaken looked down at the priest from his perch on the oni's shoulder and almost laughed. That was the houshi that his lord should have been worried about? What a laugh! That man is a mere human being! Calling down to Sesshoumaru, he said, "Sesshoumaru-sama, this Jaken will finish this for you."

The silver Inu glanced up at Jaken with a mild expression on his face. Perhaps if the kappa could handle those whelps, Sesshoumaru could settle the score with Youko Kurama and Jaganshi Hiei. He looked over at where the youkai stood, as promised to not help Inuyasha, waiting for him to attack them again. "Perhaps so. I shall engage with the other two."

"I'm going to smash you into mincemeat!" Jaken cried as he directed the oni to crush the small group.

Miroku sighed as he lifted his right arm, giving his companions enough time to find a stable holding. "Face judgement!" he shouted as he unleashed the kazaana. The oni struggled against the strong sucking winds of the void, but was slowly being sucked inside. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly as he jumped back and thrust Tessaiga into the ground as a foothold.

"Kyaah!" the twins cheered as they watched with admiration for the priest. "Miroku-sama is amazing!" Upon hearing the aggravated growl of their hanyou companion, they quickly added, "You were amazing too, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha deadpanned, "Thanks for the off-handed encouragement."

Jaken began to beg and plead for his life as the oni began to be sucked into the kazaana of the houshi. Now he understood why that man said that the priest would give them more trouble than Inuyasha! It was the void that he had in his right arm. "No! Stop!"

Sesshoumaru looked at Miroku as he remembered his encounter with Naraku. He pulled the small hive out of the folds of his haori. Naraku told him that this will be of use to him. Did that bastard mean that it was for the priest's kazaana? "Hn. We'll see if he was correct." Sesshoumaru tossed the hive into the air.

A hoard of bee-like creatures buzzed out of the hive, angry that they've been awaken. Turning glowing red eyes at Miroku, they began to fly towards him, willingly being sucked into his void just as the head of the oni passed through the kazaana. Pain shot through Miroku's body and he was forced to close of his kazaana. He tumbled back into Kagome's arms. "Inuyasha, you take over."

"Miroku-sama!" the twins cried as they quickly pulled him back over to a safer spot away from Sesshoumaru, not noticing the Hell Insects that were following them.

"Sankon Tessou!" Inuyasha growled as he tore apart the Hell Insect closest to Kaori. He'd be damned if he let some vermin like that attack her. His amber eyes fell upon Miroku, who was clutching his right arm in pain as he writhed in Kagome's arms. "What's wrong with you, Miroku?"

Kagome shook him gently before wiping away the sweat that began to bead at his forehead. "Miroku-sama, are you okay?"

Youko suddenly appeared next to the young miko and priest, his eyes training on the horde of bee-like creatures. He's seen these insects before. When he was travelling with his followers of demon bandits, they had stumbled upon a hive of these creatures. Youko had lost many men that day. "The houshi has been poisoned by the insects."

Kaori's face lost all color as she repeated what the kitsune said. "He's been poisoned? How?"

"Those insects are called Saimyosho, the insects of Hell." the fox began to explain. "Their very toxic and their venom is deadly to humans and demons alike." His eyes glowed with wisdom as he continued to speak about the venomous bugs that had poisoned Miroku and that the there was no known cure for humans. Youko turned at the sound of Shippou calling for his Kitsune-bi and watched as the fox tyke killed two bees. "Kit.."

Shippou turned a proud smile at the elder kitsune and puffed his chest out. "It's okay, Youko-sama!" he boasted as he unleashed his fox-fire again. "I can fight these bugs!"

"No, behind you," the silver kitsune drawled.

The little red fox turned around and fear consumed him as he saw dozens of Saimyosho glaring at him for killing their comrades. They flew at him at high speeds, chasing him around the field as Shippou fled them with a comical face of horror while shrieking in fear. Youko sighed and then proceeded to destroy the insects of Hell that were chasing the kit.

Kagome gently set Miroku down on his back and rose to her feet. "Ne, Kaori, wait here with Miroku-sama, I'll go and look for some medicine." She turned to the imiko, who had shown up just a few seconds after Youko's explanation. "Hiei, please protect my sister."

"Hn." he said before a smirk crossed his handsome face. "I shall _try_ to allow no harm to befall her until you return."

That got the reaction that he wanted for Kaori as she quickly turned red in the face and balled her hands up in tight fists, "You jerk!" she shouted with anger in her voice. The nerve of that bastard! As an added bonus to her fury, Kaori added, "Hiei, fuse!"

Inuyasha dug his claws into his injured wrist, coating them with his blood. "Hijin Kessou!" he yelled as he flung the blood projectiles at his brother, using them as a distraction. The hanyou quickly grabbed Miroku by his robe and yanked him behind the body of the now dead oni. "Dammit, Miroku! Don't just sit there shaking in fear. Get your ass up and help."

Miroku groaned in pain as sweat dripped down his face. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha, but those insects, the Saimyosho, have poisoned me."

Kaori lifted her head and peaked around the boulder that she was hiding behind next to Hiei. "He's coming for them!"

Sesshoumaru growled as he raised Tessaiga, a fiery golden glow surrounding the blade. "It's useless, even if you hide!" He swung the sword in a wide arc and trails of youki flew towards his target at a blinding speed.

Hiei appeared in front of the attack with his katana drawn and a small energy barrier surrounded him, pushing the white-hot youki away from him and the people behind him. As the attack struck the oni's lower body, a terrible explosion went off as pieces of the rust-colored demon littered the ground.

Kaori's grey-tinted blue eyes widened with admiration. Although, Hiei could be an insensitive, egotistical, stubborn, mean... He was a good comrade to have and she was more than happy to be on his side. "Sugoi, Hiei!" she and Shippou said together.

The silver Inu lowered the sword and ran his other hand through his long hair. "Jaganshi Hiei, why do you protect them?" he inquired. "Two humans and a half-blood mongrel? Where is your youkai pride?"

Inuyasha finally had enough of hearing his brother's mouth. Sesshoumaru sudden gains Tessaiga and he becomes very talkative. "Will you shut up!" he snapped. "Obtaining one fuckin' sword sure loosens that hole you call a mouth!" His amber eyes narrowed dangerously as Inuyasha glared at his elder brother. "Well, lemme tell you something: When you try to kill someone, do it right! Otherwise, you may just end up eating your words!" Inuyasha quickly drew Tessaiga's sheathe when Sesshoumaru lunged at him and blocked the strike, smirking when he saw the older Inu's eyes widen slightly.

Jaken pulled himself out of the pile of oni pieces and swiped a hand across his head as he let out a relieved breath. "That was close. If Hiei hadn't blocked Sesshoumaru-sama attack, I'd been killed with them." He squawked in surprise when something or rather someone grabbed the top of his head in a painful grip. Turning around slowly, he saw that it was the monk that had took hold of him.

Miroku looked at the kappa youkai with venomous violet eyes as a strained smile tilted at his lips. "Something really bothers me." he began slowly, breathing heavily. "We have never met before and yet it's as though you prepared the Saimyosho just for me. What's the meaning of this?"

"Huh?" the kappa said intelligently as he inched his hand closer to his staff. "You have no right to ask, asshole!"

Kaori saw that the little green demon was reaching for that weird-looking two-headed staff and quickly ran to scoop it up. She grinned and stuck her tongue out at him childishly when he looked at her dumbfoundedly. "I don't think so, you stupid little toad!" The elder twin saw the malicious look on Miroku's face and grabbed Shippou to cover his eyes when the priest delivered a vicious punch to Jaken's head. _'He really is a delinquent priest.'_ she thought as the houshi grabbed the kappa's head again in a threatening manner.

Sesshoumaru pushed down on the black sheath that his brother used to block his strike. "So, you really think that you can stop me with just a simple scrap of wood."

Inuyasha scoffed as he slowly began to push Sesshoumaru back. "This ain't no ordinary sheath. It's more than enough to crack open your head!"

"Interesting." the Inu smirked lightly and pushed the hanyou back. "You'll have disappeared before you're able to!"

The halfling somersaulted backwards when his brother swung Tessaiga at his throat, growling when Sesshoumaru continued to follow him and attacking the sheath violently. Inuyasha tried his best to block the strikes of his older brother, but he was growing tired and losing ground quickly. And then it happened, one particularly strong swing blasted the sheath out of the hanyou's hand and forced him flying back.

Sesshoumaru raised Tessaiga, preparing to unleash a powerful attack. "This is the end!"

Out of seemingly nowhere a single blue Hama no Ya flew through the air and struck Tessaiga. The pure and holy power of the arrow instantly caused the demonic aura of the Fang to dissipate and revert back to its normal rusty katana form. When Sesshoumaru gazed into the direction of which the arrow had come from, he spotted one of the girls with a bow held tightly in her grip with her legs spread shoulder-width apart.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome said in a powerful voice. "Next time is aimed for your body!"

Youko narrowed his eyes. Why was she so defiant? Why will Kagome not listen to his words and stay away from Sesshoumaru and let Inuyasha handle his own problems. "You foolish girl! Stay back!"

Kagome pulled another arrow out of her quiver and notched it in place, choosing to ignore the kitsune's voice. "Inuyasha! Make your escape! Hurry!" She pulled the string of her shortbow taut as she took careful aim at the Inuyoukai. "Sesshoumaru, I'll shoot your left arm off!" A glittering pink glow tinkled beneath the sleeve of the silver Inu's haori._ 'I can see it! A shard of the Shikon no Tama!'_ Releasing her tight grip on the bowstring, Kagome fired her Hama no Ya.

Sesshoumaru moved to the right to avoid the holy arrow and leapt into the air towards Kagome. He lifted his claws and prepared to end her feeble life with a single blow when something sharp wrapped around his leg. Looking down, he saw that it was Youko's Rose Whip.

Youko's golden eyes flashed crimson momentarily when he saw that Sesshoumaru was going after Kagome. Immediately, he had summoned his whip and drug that inferior dog back down while he moved to stand in front of Kagome. "You touch her and you are dead." he growled as he glared at the Inu.

"Hn." Sesshoumaru smirked. "You will react rather swiftly when this girl's life is threatened, Youko."

Kagome placed her hand on the spirit kitsune's arm to move him out-of-the-way. "Youko! There's a Shikon Shard in his left arm." she notched another arrow on her bow, aiming it at Sesshoumaru. "If I can hit it..." the young miko blinked when a crimson rose was raised just beneath her nose so that its sweet scent filled her. Shoving it away irritably, she said, "What are you doing?" Suddenly her body felt sluggish and her eyelids dropped, becoming heavy. "Youko?"

The silver kitsune caught the young woman in his arms when she slumped forward. "Saving you." he said simply. Youko had already lost the one woman that he ever cared about twice. He would not lose Kagome as well because of her stubbornness. Youko turned to the hanyou. "Will you be able to handle him until I return with Hiei?"

Inuyasha was mildly surprised that the kitsune and the imiko was going to help him defeat his brother, but appreciated it nonetheless. But he was not going to let them know that. "Of course." he snorted. "Take Kagome and that medicine to Miroku! It may just save him!" he glanced down at the girl in the kitsune's arms. "And when Kagome wakes, give her my thanks. Due to her arrow, I am able to fight with Sesshoumaru on more equal terms."

Youko nodded before carefully positioning Kagome in the cradle of his arms after he grabbed the large yellow bag that was resting on the ground next to where she was standing. Regarding Inuyasha with a look that promised his return, the kitsune leapt into the air.

Sesshoumaru gazed down at the rusty blade in his hands and let out a small almost inaudible sigh. "The transformation was halted by a mere mortal woman's arrow." His golden eyes slid shut as a ghost of a smile tilted at his regal lips. "I guess Tessaiga won't take to me." The Inu was a little disheartened that his father's sword did not want him as its master, yet it would willing transform for a half-breed mutt like Inuyasha. Quickly his disheartened feelings turned into anger that his mongrel brother may actually be worth the Fang that their great and terrible father gifted him with.

Jaken looked past the monk that was glaring death down at him and his eyes bulged out even further when he noticed the stain of red on his lord's leg. Who dared to injure his master in such a way? Before the kappa could even open his mouth to demand who hurt Sesshoumaru, another brutal blow exploded across him temple. "Itee!" Jaken yelped in pain, turning his yellow eyes back on the houshi looming over him menacing. "I really don't know who he was! He wore the hide of a baboon to conceal himself! But he called himself, Naraku!"

Shippou tilted his head up at the priest with a curious glow in his eyes. "Isn't that one of the youkai that you're after, Miroku?"

The houshi regarded the little kitsune with cool eyes before he turned back to the green demon he held captive. "Tell me, where has he gone!"

Jaken looked at Miroku and smirked, his beaked mouth curving just slightly. "Heh. I don't know." he confessed snidely, "And anyway it'll be no use even if you do find out."

"What do you mean?" Kaori said as she tightened her hands around the staff that was still in her possession. Just in case the little imp tried something funny.

The kappa youkai glanced over at the younger twin, slightly peeved that she was keeping the Nintoujou away from him. If he had the staff, Jaken could have easily defeated two humans and a kitsune child. "Because he absorbed so much of the insect's poison, he'll be dead before long!"

Kaori gasped, the two-headed staff falling out of her hands, as she covered her mouth. Miroku was going to die? No, she would not allow it. Where on earth was Kagome with the medicine? She caught the priest's slight wince as he released his grip on Jaken's haori and slid to the ground. "Miroku-sama!" she exclaimed, rushing over to him to support his weight. "Are you in pain? Kagome should be here soon."

Miroku gave her a weak smile as sweat dripped down his face. "Kaori-sama, I am fine. It's a bit annoying, but I am, after all, just a weak human."

Jaken laughed scornfully. So the pitiful man finally realized his weakness for being mortal? About time! "Serves you right!" He jumped to his feet and made a wild grab for his Nintoujou, but was stopped when a hand clamped down on his head in bone-crushing grip. Looking back, the kappa saw the houshi smiling cruelly down at him as his dark eyes threw daggers at him. Jaken swallowed dryly when Miroku raised his fist in the air to deliver the first of many violent punches. His body began to quake with pain as he bemoaned weakly. "Don't take your anger out on me..."

* * *

><p>Finally finished! The revising is beginning to meet up with my current chapter. Only a few more to go! I can't wait!<p>

Ja ne

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


End file.
